<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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>\n\n\n\n

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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>\n\n\n\n

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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 alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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 loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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 a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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 a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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 mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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>\n\n\n\n

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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>\n\n\n\n

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Whatever the cause of death may be, you must let go of the strong feelings toward those who have passed away. This way, the dead may leave this world without any lingering attachment, whether they go to heaven, paradise, or are reincarnated. However, this is easier said than done because people have a very hard time letting go of their attachment to loved ones who have passed away. The customary 3-day funeral in Korea gives mourners time to grieve for the dead and say goodbye. In exceptional cases, the funerals of well-known figures are extended to 5 or 7 days to accommodate a large number of mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mourning during those customary 3 days, you should be able to smile if you want good things to happen to you. You should do the same whether your parents, children, husband, wife or a monk has died. Even if I were to die, you should not cry after the funeral. You should tell yourself, \u201cVen. Pomnyun Sunim has lived a good life.\u201d If by any chance, I die in a car accident, you should think to yourself, \u201c Since he traveled so much, he inevitably died from a car accident.\u201d You must simply let go of any emotional attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I met a widow who sobbed for a long time over the premature death of her husband who was only in his thirties. I said to her, \"I hope you meet another man and live happily.\" Naturally, she was indignant at what I said. She stopped crying and retorted angrily,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cSunim! How can you say that?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWill sobbing bring your husband back from death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t you have a one-year-old child? If the mother weeps, her child\u2019s heart will be filled with sadness, but if the mother is cheerful, the child\u2019s heart will be filled with joy. So, what should you do, keep grieving or smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI should smile\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cEven if you smile dating another man, your smile will make your child happy. However, if you live alone and cry all the time, your child will be sad. From the child\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s not important who his mother is dating. What the child needs is a happy mother. Again, if a mother loves her child, should she be miserable or cheerful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cShe should be cheerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cSo, as a mother, your top priority should be your child, no matter what happens. The death of your husband is no exception. Your concern for your child comes first. If you really love your child, you must smile and be happy for your child\u2019s sake. Thus, although it may be hard for you to smile after your husband\u2019s death, you have to smile even if it takes dating another man. That is to say, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure your child\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three days later, a person who had seen the sobbing widow on the day I had a conversation with her came to me and told me his wife had witnessed a surprising scene. He said, \u201cDo you remember the young widow who was so choked up about her husband\u2019s death that she couldn\u2019t even speak? In the afternoon of the day she talked with you, my wife saw her shopping with her mother with a smile on her face. What on earth did you say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person lives in deep sorrow because her husband has died, she is ruining her own life and torturing herself. Her husband lived a full life, and his death is not her fault, so she should not feel guilty. She must live life happily in order for her children to be healthy and happy. But if she lives in deep sorrow, it will have a negative impact on her child\u2019s psychological state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child grows up to be an adult of over 18 years old, they should be able to live an independent life without clinging to their parents. However, if a single mother were to cry all day, her adult children will be unable to leave her side. Even if they want to leave home to live their lives, they will be held back by the thought, \"How could I leave my mother behind?\" Also, when they start dating, instead simply marrying people they fall in love with, they may worry about whether their prospective spouses will be good to their mother and help take care of her. Their constant preoccupation with their mother will become a huge obstacle in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a mother, even if her husband dies, should be strong and live happily for her children\u2019s sake. When her children worry about her, she should tell them, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. I am doing fine. You just worry about yourself.\u201d Only then will her children grow up healthy and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of a loved one is very sad, but you must let go of your sadness in order to prevent yourself from living a life of misery. Also, you need to let go of your deep emotional attachment for the sake of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s alright to reminisce about good memories about the deceased, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess about them. It is believed that grieving and longing for the deceased may cause their spirits to wander. You must let go of them light-heartedly for their sakes and your sake, as well as for happiness of your family.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mourn For Your Loved One For No More Than Three Days","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"mourn-for-your-loved-one-for-no-more-than-three-days","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:57:41","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:57:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17865","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17859,"post_author":"40","post_date":"2024-02-06 09:38:00","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-06 14:38:00","post_content":"\n

-An extract from Venerable Pomnyun's book, Life Lessons<\/em>-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

---

\n\n\n\n

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

<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","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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