"The feelings between a teacher and his disciples must
be as close as those of a father and his child, so that there
will be no obstacles in the teaching or the learning. The feelings
between fellow learners must be as intimate as those between
brothers, so there will be not hesitation in giving or receiving
advice. Then and only then will moral feelings and spiritual
laws be exchanged freely between them and a powerful group will
be created for study and work."
2.
At the twelfth anniversary ceremony of the Order, the Great
Master said to the assembly,
"Since you have heard the report of the study and the work
of our Order for twelve years since it was founded, I now want
each of you to comment on it."
As they made their comments, one after the other, the Great
Master listened carefully to each and said,
"In general your comments are all appropriate. However,
there is one thing that is not clearly revealed and I shall
talk about it now. Among you in this Dharma hall, some have
been acquainted with me for a good many years, but others have
come only during the last few years, and naturally, therefore,
there are old members and new members in the group. I want you,
on the occasion of this ceremony, to be aware of each other's
services and be thankful for one another. The newer members
did not have to put forth any special effort in creating the
Order since there were systems and facilities already established
when they joined, and all they had to do was to study. Without
the old members who put all their effect and sincerity into
establishing these facilities for study, what and where should
the new members study? Therefore, they ought to feel obligated
to the old members because of the old members' dedication in
initiating the Order and, accordingly, have the highest regard
for them. On the other hand, the old members ought to be aware
of the fact that, although they have worked hard, with all sincerity,
in establishing the Order, the beginning work would have been
of little good in the eternal world, were it not for the new
members who have come to utilize the establishments, revere
the Law and run the institutions. If both old members and new
members feel this way toward each other and are thankful, the
strength of the Order will grow accordingly and your merit will
no doubt be transmitted endlessly."
3.
When the Great Master was visiting Seoul many of his disciples
came to him and said,
"We are so happy to have been in the same place at the
same time to study under the same Master. We will always be
together, keeping this good relationship."
Then the Great Master listened and said,
"I have mixed feelings about what you say. On the one hand
I am glad to see that you are getting along well together and
are happy under my guidance, but on the other hand I sometimes
worry that bad relationships may develop among you."
One of the disciples asked, "How could that happen, Great Master?"
And the Great Master said,
"Bad relationships are likely to develop among the closest
of people. For example, fathers and sons, brothers and sisters,
husbands and wives and even close friends often tend to forget
common courtesy and etiquette, and therefore, while they mean
to love and to be helpful, they may cause resentment and misunderstanding,
resulting in the formation of relationships worse than those
that exist between totally unconnected people."
One of them asked again, "How, then, can we keep good relationships
forever?"
The Great Master replied,
"Do not force another person to do things that he has little
desire to do; do not pretend to be higher than other people
or compete with them; do not criticize other people's wrong
actions, but rather try to learn from their mistakes; do not
monopolize the teacher's love; have increased respect for others
as you come closer to them, and try not to forget etiquette.
Then, good relationships will be kept forever and poor relationships
will seldom occur."
4.
The Great Master said,
"In having contact with many people we notice that they
have their own distinct characteristics. People have their own
laws of which they have particular understanding, and have formed
a particular conception of the Law among many laws by themselves.
And also, for a long time people have seen and heard different
things. They also have unique innate tendencies. If people act
only according to their own personal perceptions, and disregard
the perceptions of other people, trouble and conflict will arise
even between the closest of friends. This is because each person
is acquainted with different things and perhaps ignorant about
what they know, or else has different local customs or Opinions
because of the differences between new and old generation, or
perhaps has different preferences or opinions because of actions
which were part of for- mer lives. So, as a result, people often
disregard or disapprove of the knowledge of other people, or
even worse, they hate each other. This shows the lack of broad
understanding among people. Consequently, people fall into contempt
not always from their own faults. Even in Buddha the heretics
found eighty. four thousand faults. It was not that Buddha actually
had faults, but rather that the wisdom and practice of the heretics
were no match for those of Buddha, and they were not able to
understand Buddha's true mind. Therefore, you disciples living
among these gatherings of people from various places, with different
customs and knowledge, should first of all understand that all
people have their own characteristics. Only then will you have
the virtue to accept these fellow learners without conflict."
5.
The Great Master said to many of his disciples,
"People or things which are far apart are naturally quiet,
but when they come closer and are confronted with each other,
they make noise. When metal things are banged together they
make metallic sounds, where- as stones make stony sounds. Likewise,
if righteous people get together, the sound of justice will
ring out, and when evil people get together, evil sounds prevail.
He aware that the benevolent sounds of the great saints of the
past, although thousands of years old, are still ringing clearly
today in the ears of all sentient beings since they began their
Orders. On the other hand, the confusing sounds of unwise people
still confound the minds of many people. You have al- ready
gathered here with the purpose of working together, and it is
inevitable that certain sounds will be created among you. Be
sure to utter only good sounds and avoid evil ones. If only
good sounds are heard, it will do good not only for yourselves
but also for the world."
6.
The Great Master said,
"People may work in this world with the same ability and
effort, but the value of their work and the length of its history
may vary according to the size and length of the work. The size
of the work denotes works for individual homes, works for the
nation and the race, and works for the whole world. The length
of the work means works that will keep their history for decades,
thou- sands of years, or perhaps for eternity. Among the many
kinds of work, only moral work is boundless and everlasting.
Moral work crosses the boundaries of nations and times. For
example, when Buddha was going door to door to ask for alms
with his twelve hundred disciples, or when Confucius was roaming
the world without receiving any recognition, or when Christ
preached to his twelve disciples, at that time they were truly
powerless. Yet, look now at how distinguished and revealing
their teachings have been over all the world as the years have
passed. Since you have already entered the Order of morality,
I advise you to realize first the value and the significance
of the work of morality, and to put forth continual effort in
order to act as host of the largest and longest work."
7.
The Great Master said,
"The devotees of our Order are supposed to dedicate both
their bodies and souls completely to the public, and therefore
should never think of their own personal fame, power, or desire
for gain. By my observation, however, some of them have gradually
come to forget the first resolution, and have developed a tendency
to complain and thereby bear unreasonable grudges against other
people while formulating unjust schemes. Should this be the
way of devotees whose original spirit was to be altruistic?
Your initial vow was to build inexhaustible blessedness in the
everlasting future and to practice the way of Bodhisattva among
all sentient beings. If you forget the initial vow, accumulating
sins instead of merit, and foster an unenlightened spirit instead
of practicing the Bodhisattvas' way, your sin will be many times
greater than that of people living a mundane life. This is truly
to be dreaded. You should re- member these words carefully and
reflect upon your own minds constantly to examine whether you
are devotees who do good for other people or the kind who expect
others to do good for you. If you belong to the former, continue
your practice, but if you are one of the latter, be swift to
change your mental attitude. If you find it difficult to change,
you had better return to your private home and prevent yourself
from committing a most dreadful sin."
8.
Noting that several disciples who were in charge of kitchen
service, including Chung Yang-Sun, were becoming thinner and
wearier, the Great Master said,
"You are getting thinner due to hard work. The fact that
you disciples are working so hard in the kitchen, in the factory
or in the industrial section, and are overcoming all hardships
to practice the Law and to carry out the Dharma work, is comparable
to impure iron that is put into a blast furnace and beat- en
over and over so that the iron can be used to make necessary
utensils. Only by going through such hardship and by gaining
the Three Great Powers will you be trained to put off the habits
of ordinary people and acquire Buddhahood. Just as good iron
is produced only in the blast furnace, so are you made to possess
outstanding character through training in the midst of hardship.
You should be aware of this meaning, and live in peace and pleasure."
9.
One of the disciples asked the Great Master,
"Is it true that in a degenerate age those of moral training
who will be incarnated into 'golden serpents' as punishment
for their sins will be greater in number than ordinary people?
If so, please explain why."
The Great Master answered,
"The sins of laity ex- tend only as far as the individuals
themselves or the boundary of the home, whereas the sins committed
by those of moral training, in leading others into wrong paths
because of ignorance of the right Law, may affect the lives
of the multitudes. And since your food and clothing are all
made by farmers and weavers, if you of moral training do not
realize that you should pay them back by hard work, then the
result may be that you are living off someone else's hard toil.
If you know you possess the Four Graces, yet do not repay them,
you will become ungrateful. Some of you may think that I am
exaggerating, but I am not. You should often reflect upon yourselves
and try not to betray your initial purpose."
10.
The Great Master said,
"One should never behave like a leech. If one takes advantage
of one's position and power in a sly way, so as to exploit the
property others have earned through hard labor, or if one relies
unduly upon other people such as relatives or friends, one is
a leech. Therefore, we should always reflect upon ourselves
to know the benefit we are rendering other people every day,
and if we are sure of such daily effort, we may be content.
But if we feel that we are only after an easy life, relying
on other people in the name of the public, then we will be plunged
deep into debt in eternal life, and will not escape becoming
a leech. Be aware of this fact."
11.
When the Great Master was at a temple of Won Buddhism in Seoul,
he asked Lee Wan-Chul to carry a load on his back to the Seoul
Railway Station. Lee said, "I am supervising a dozen men doing
repair work on this Temple of Won Buddhism. Besides, my dignity
as a teacher of the Law in a temple might be affected by carrying
the load."
The Great Master thereupon asked Oh Chang-Keon to carry the
load, and when he had returned said to Lee, "Wan-Chul, what
do you think of your actions a short while ago?"
Wan-Chul answered,
"I do not think that I committed any wrong."
The Great Master said,
"To your way of thinking you may have done nothing wrong,
but if you are ashamed of carrying a load and thereby dare refuse
to follow the order of a Master of the Law and still think nothing
of it, how can you be considered to be doing your part as a
devotee, and how can you expect to become a great man entrusted
to save living beings? If you cannot discard such an attitude,
you had better return to your private home." Wan-Chul was alarmed,
and apologized for his fault, and from that day forth he continued
to train himself with greater effort in discarding vain dignities.
12.
One of the disciples, in charge of taking care of the cabbage
field that belonged to the Order, had found a great many larvae
there. He dried and sold them to the herb doctor, making a considerable
amount of money. A disciple in the office of supervision reported
this to the Great Master and asked, "Since this is extra profit
and the man happens to need new clothing, how would it be if
I were to buy him some clothes out of that money?"
The Great Master answered,
"Although it may be extra profit, the money was made while
doing public work and therefore should be returned to the public.
Although he had sufficient reason to kill the larvae, if his
clothes were bought with the money that was earned through killing
living things, how could he escape the bad consequences?"
Instead the Great Master gave his own clothing to the disciple
and said,
"Use the extra money for the public welfare so that he
will not receive retribution."
13.
One of the disciples felt rather uneasy since he had to kill
many worms in the process of taking care of an orchard belonging
to the Order, and therefore expressed his feelings to the Great
Master. The Great Master said,
"Do not be concerned about the retribution, instead continue
to do your best in serving the public without any sense of self-interest.
Then you will not be punished. However, if you take any personal
profit out of the work, you will not be able to escape retribution.
Therefore, you should be very careful."
14.
One of the disciples who lived close to head- quarters often
carried trivial things to his private home from the headquarters,
and the Great Master warned him by saying,
"I do not mean that we cannot afford to share with you
some trivial things such as twigs to burn or perhaps a few nails,
but it is not fair for you to take them for personal use because
they were given to the Order by the public. If you keep doing
so, some unexpected disaster may be brought upon you in the
future and you will suffer loss greater than the amount you
took. Therefore I am hereby warning you in advance."
15.
One day the Great Master asked his disciples,
"In order to let the devotees in our Order work only for
the public and not have to worry about their personal households,
how could a system be established such that the Order could
help their homes?"
Chun Eum-Kwang answered. "It is indeed neces- sary to arrange
such a system."
The Great Master asked further,
"What shall we do if some devotees homes are in such a
pitiful situation that they have to return to their private
homes before we set up such a system?"
Seo Dae-Won answered by saying,
"If the owner is an ordinary devotee we will send him home
for a while to take care of his household and then have him
come back, but if he happens to be one of the important persons
in our Order, our council will have to make decisions to help
the household on a temporary basis."
The Great Master said,
"What will you do if we set up such a system and too many
people ask for help?"
Yu Hoh-Il answered,
"In order to prevent that from happening, there should
be an organization established in the headquarters so that we
may take care of the problems of the devotees' households and
give them advice."
The Great Master said,
"What you three have said is all good. Try to set the system
up gradually and make use of it. But though the Order cannot
fully afford to establish such a system, we will try to keep
down the number of our public works in order to help needy devotees
so that their minds will not be distracted by concern for their
personal households."
16.
The Great Master said,
"In our Order, under the system of devotees, even a married
man can become a devotee, studying and working, or one may remain
unmarried if one has a special desire to devote oneself to study
and work in celibacy. Either case is accepted by the Order and
each devotee should act according to their own inclination.
However, if one decides to remain single, either because of
some environmental reason or for personal comfort, while secretly
admiring the worldly life, it will be not only a great loss
for oneself, for the world and for the Order, but also one may
be reborn a person who, although good-looking, is merely the
plaything of many people. Therefore, if one is not confident
enough about one's decision, one had better decide to leave
the Order, but if one is still confident about one's decision,
one must hold to the idea with firm resolution and pure fidelity,
purifying the world and trying to open the way of wisdom and
blessedness to all sentient beings as one vowed to do in the
beginning."
17.
The Great Master himself had often taken care of the unmarried
disciples, both men and women, and had told them,
"If you live this one life purely for the public and the
Order, discarding the desire for money, sex, and honor, the
merit will be uncomparably greater than serving only families
through many lives. In addition, by your merit in this one life,
you will be ensured of inexhaustible blessedness and high honors
for many lives yet to come and will eventually attain great
Buddhahood. However, if you live singly only in outward forms,
and actually accomplish very little in serving others, celibacy
is really a useless thing. Therefore, be careful about yourselves
and about your study."
18.
The Great Master said
"When one wishes to submit an application to become a devotee,
one should think very carefully about this. If one pledges before
the public and the Dharma world that one will devote one's body
and mind entirely to Buddha's study and work, attain Buddhahood,
and save others, but then later changes one's mind and plunges
into one's own personal work or pleasure, it means that one
is deceiving Heaven and Earth and will never be forgiven by
the Truth. One's way will be blocked. Especially, if one is
in a position to guide the pub- lic, one should be most careful
in one's conduct. If one is not enlightened oneself, yet pretends
to be and guides others in wrong directions, it means that one
is deceiving the Truth and will not escape fall- ing into an
evil way."
19.
One day the Great Master said to many of his disciples,
"Our work is comparable to that of wild geese. We gather
either in the east or in the west according to seasons and invisible
causes, to evangelize among the public, just as the wild geese
flock either in the north or in the south according to the season.
But if any goose is careless in following the leader and goes
astray, it is likely to be caught in a net, or shot by a gun,
and perish. To those who prac- tice morality and evangelism,
money and sex may play the role of net and gun."
20.
The Great Master said,
"Even though the tiger and lion are known to be the bravest
of all animals, they can be destroyed by a lowly thing like
mange if it spreads over their whole body. For those practicing
the Law with great aspirations, meager temptations can act like
mange and interfere with initial resolution, thereby spoiling
the whole life's work. Therefore, those practicing the Law ought
to be careful not to let mental mange gain control of them.
Let me give you some examples of this mental mange. The first
is feeling sorry if the leader gives some warning about certain
happenings in a public meeting, thinking that the warning is
directed solely toward oneself. The second is to forget the
original purpose of practicing the Law at the place for moral
training, seeking only to receive kind hospitality like that
which one receives at home. The third is to reject advice and
hate the one who has given advice instead of accepting it and
using it as a guide. The fourth is to inflate one's pride upon
winning higher position and public confidence. The fifth is
to expect favors from other people in the public, always seeking
one's own comfort. The sixth is to blame leaders or fellow members
for their lack of trust in one, while being careless in one's
own deeds and words. The seventh is never being satisfied when
kindness is rendered, but acquiring new bad habits. All these
conditions may not be classified as being terribly evil, but
they are mange severe enough to interfere with even the most
earnest study and, accordingly, you should be very careful."
21.
As one of the disciples was ready to leave to assume her first
position as a teacher of the Law at one of the regional Temples
of Won Buddhism the Great Master said to her,
"I hope you have not felt neglected because I have not
taken care of you as closely as I have some of the other disciples
so far. A farmer will devote the most attention to a field which
is not rich in soil and has a lot of weeds, while toiling less
in the rich field. Likewise, some people need more attention
than others in the process of training. Therefore, you should
understand the meaning of this example in your case and never
feel sorry"
22.
The Great Master, upon returning to Bongnae Cloister from Yungsan,
said to his many disciples,
"On the way back I happened to see a market. In the morning,
an earthenware dealer came with a load of earthenware and another
person came with an empty A-frame on his back. But when they
were on the way back home the earthenware dealer was carrying
an empty A-frame, after having sold all his wares, while the
other man was now carrying some earthenware on his back, and
both of them looked satisfied. I thought for a moment about
the fact that the earthenware dealer had not necessarily come
to the market to serve the other man, or vice versa, yet each
got what he wanted and, as a result, each was satisfied. In
this way we all depend on one another. I also saw a man who
got angry and returned without buying what he wanted only because
he felt that the storekeeper was too conceited. The people laughed
at him, saying that he must have come to the market to be entertained
with hospitality rather than to buy things. Another man came
along to the same store and he bought the things he wanted without
complaint, and paid no attention to the storekeeper's conceited
manner. The people praised him for being a wise and substantial
man. I smiled and reflected upon the market scene, comparing
it with your lives in our religious Order. I hope you can perceive
the true meaning of my story."
23.
The Great Master said,
"It is fortunate that you have come to this moral Order.
However, since your backgrounds are all different, and since
one really knows only oneself, sooner or later someone will
leave here after being confronted with a trivial trial. I can
compare this to a blind person who, while being fortunate in
finding the right doorway, upon stumbling over the threshold,
turns around and wanders away in a bad temper. The physically
blind know their shortcomings and therefore will be careful
about stepping but the mentally blind are often not aware of
the blindness, and therefore are rather careless about the pitfalls
in life. This is quite dangerous."
24.
The Great Master said,
"It has been several years since I opened a shop and ran
a business, but I earned very little because I gave the goods
on credit and people were slow in making payment. Some people
took the commodities, sold them successfully, and brought the
money back after taking an adequate profit for themselves, but
such people were very few in number. Most of the people took
the commodities but were reluctant about selling them and either
brought them back to me after a while or else lost the things
and never paid for them. As a result, my business became a loss.
Hereafter, I plan to pay compliments and give better service
by supplying good commodities to those who sell the goods successfully
and pay me back as well as making profit for themselves. I shall
scold severely those who bring the goods back to me, and those
who lose the goods and never pay for them I shall refer to the
law and have them punished."
Then he asked them if they understood what he had said.
One of the disciples replied,
"The shop you opened can be compared to the moral Order
you have established. One who pays for the goods and profits
from them is one who has listened carefully to your teachings,
propagates them successfully and makes a considerable profit
through practicing your teachings. One who brings back the goods
is one who may not forget the teachings, but who seldom utilizes
them in any practical sense. The one who loses goods and never
pays for them is one who never propagates the teachings, never
practices and sometimes even forgets all the teachings. That
you would refer such a one to law means that if one never remembers
or practices the good teachings one has heard, one will have
difficulties and naturally be punished by Truth."
"You are right" said the Great Master.
25.
On a New Year's Day the Great Master told the assembly,
"I had a dream last night and in the dream I met an extraordinary
man who came to me to suggest that there is no doubt that this
Order will prosper greatly and that it would be wise for me
to warn you in advance against the possibility of making light
of other people or organizations as the Order grows larger.
Even though dreams are often said to be unreliable, my dream
last night was vivid and clear.. Besides, it was at the turn
of the year that I dreamed it and I cannot overlook the implication
of that fact. You should be careful not to forget your sense
of respect no matter whom you meet or what occasion you face
and remember that anyone, however meager seeming, has power
either to help or to harm the Order. This will have much effect
upon the future of this Order."
26.
A newspaper carried an article that praised the Order and all
the members rejoiced over the fact. Then the Great Master said,
"When there are people who praise us, there will also be
those bound to interfere. As we grow more prosperous and famous,
there will be those who will envy us; therefore you should be
well aware of this point in advance and not be shaken too much
by either praise or slander, but do only what you must with
great self-restraint."
27.
The Great Master said,
"When one intends to accomplish certain things in life,
one is bound to face some difficulties according to the scale
of one's work. Through the ages all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, sages
and great and far-sighted persons were no exception in having
to endure hardships to achieve their success. Shakyamuni Buddha,
discarding all the glories and luxuries of a prince, escaped
from his royal home and went through numerous hardships for
six years before he attained Buddhahood. Even after he had begun
his Order, his hardships continued such that his disciples were
even killed by heretics. However, his great Way has been transmitted
to us through the centuries by way of his disciples and his
greatness is being highly honored by all living things even
today. Confucius, when he was wandering through his country
in order to establish justice in the Ch'un Ch'iu period, was
once humiliated by people who called him a dog during a funeral
feast at a house, and he faced other sufferings and persecutions
such as the wars of Chen Tsai Yet his disciples' continuous
endeavours finally succeeded in establishing a system of human
morality and he is respected today as a great sage of the world.
Christ, too, went through all forms of persecution and harm
while spreading his Gospel, and finally died by crucifixion,
but his teachings are still rendering charity to the world through
his disciples' undying efforts. How can we expect to be free
from criticism and hardship if we wish to work for the betterment
of this world of troubles? So far we have faced very little
criticism or oppression. But, as we grow and continue to carry
out more works with more people, there may be some of us who
do things wrong and injure the reputation of the Order. However,
if our purpose is truly for the welfare of the world, and if
our work is needed for saving the world, one or two mistakes
will not destroy the Order and the true body of the Order will
be revealed as it really is in spite of harm or acts of oppression.
This is comparable to a mountain hidden behind fog which will
eventually show its true appearance more clearly as the fog
fades away. You should never be bothered by hardships or troubles,
but only follow your conscience in accomplishing our original
purpose. Then our great task may be satisfactorily realized."
28.
The Great Master said,
"There are three main causes of failure in any business.
The first is to wish for great success, but put very little
effort toward it. The second is to deal with matters carelessly
without knowing what is fundamental and what is incidental in
the thing, and what should be done first and what should follow.
The third is to be worried over little profit or loss before
complete stability is attained in the business, and by worry
bring about failure. Any business person should be mindful of
these three points at all times."
29.
The industrial center of the Order was engaged in raising chickens
under the auspices of the county office. One day, because of
carelessness, the hot water tank broke and many young chickens
died. The man in charge was greatly alarmed and ran to the office
to report the accident. An officer told him,
"If you are going to succeed in raising chickens, you should
be prepared for even greater losses than this. In raising chickens
you may face many unexpected disasters, but there are also many
ways to guard against them. It is better to have this kind of
experience while the scope of your business is still small than
to experience great loss when the scope is much larger. Therefore,
you should take this incident as an educational experience which
will prevent problems and you should not be worried about it."
The man went and reported to the Great Master, who then said,
"The officer's words are a sermon. A maxim says that wisdom
is gained after an experience. This little experience will greatly
contribute to your success in the future, not only in the work
of raising chickens but in all other works as well. In our Order
we also should be very attentive on all occasions, whether we
are successful or not, in the course of practicing the Law and
in doing Buddhist works, and should seek the reasons for good
or bad results. We must also learn from the conduct of other
religions how to act in order to be welcomed instead of being
rejected by the world, and how to leave a bright picture and
a good heritage for our Order in the everlasting future, rather
than to soil our history. If we continually reflect upon ourselves
and improve every day so that we may practice only proper deeds,
we shall be able to benefit all individuals, families, societies
and nations as we meet them and our Order will be a model religion,
welcomed by many people. But if we carry out our work haphazardly,
without self-examination, all kinds of mistakes may occur and
our creed will not be accepted by the world. How can we afford
not to be careful?"
30.
The Great Master said,
"All great things in the world have grown from small things
and this is a natural principle. All the outstanding religions
were also very meager in their early stages, but as time passed
their strength expanded and they grew to be big Orders, All
big business is nothing but a body grown large, of small strengths.
Likewise in carrying out and developing the work of this religious
Order, if we continue our innocent efforts every day in a spirit
of growing small things larger, a great result will naturally
follow. Also, in practicing the Law, if one follows the teacher's
guidance step by step with no hasty thought, one will finally
achieve success. If, however, we plot for the rapid expansion
of the Order by way of trickery or wish to attain superior Dharma
power by way of a prejudiced method, it will be a foolish desire
only and against the principle of study; we will be wasting
our time and energy, however great our effort. Therefore I advise
you not to follow vain wishes or be greedy, either in study
or in business, or in any other thing, but instead practice
only the principle that all great things grow from small things,
and accomplish our initial purpose."
31.
The Great Master said,
"Even when an ordinary person wants to employ a temporary
worker or servant for a day or a year, one is bound to look
into the worker's qualifications and trustworthiness. More-
over, if Heaven wants to charge a great work to one, the charge
is given under the principle that one be tested first. Therefore,
if one wants to accomplish a great task, one should be careful
to pass this examination successfully."
32.
The Great Master said,
"In developing a great Order, it is necessary to find a
leader of talent, knowledge and wealth. This leader will serve
as a protector of the Order. But it is more important that the
person have true devotion, even if a little dull and ignorant,
because such a person is going to accomplish the role of the
devoted master of the Order, and will be greatly successful
in the endeavor."
33.
The Great Master said the following to the assembly at one of
the regular Dharma meetings,
"Today, I shall speak about the creators and the destroyers
of this Order. Please listen carefully. The creators of the
Order are those who contribute spiritually, physically and materially
to the Order and who attend the regular Dharma meetings, practice
the Regular Training faithfully, study scriptures diligently
and are versed in the doctrines and the system of the Order,
practicing them in their daily lives. Therefore, without realizing
it, they become the model for others, thus contributing to the
development of the Order. The destroyers are those who do harm
spiritually, physically, and materially to the Order, attend
regular Dharma meetings irregularly, are indolent in the Regular
Training, fail in correcting bad habits, live haphazardly, break
the Precepts, harm themselves and others, and consequently defile
the honor of the Order and interfere with its development. You
should by all means learn to discriminate between these two
kinds of people, and try to accomplish virtuous deeds in order
to become creators rather than destroyers of the Order."
34.
The Great Master said,
"There are many ways to create this Order, but I shall
point out eleven essential ones which will be our standard in
choosing contributors to the creation of our Order. The first
is to devote oneself to the Order both spiritually and physically.
The second is to contribute an abundance of material. The third
is to be constant in religious life from the beginning of membership.
The fourth is to engage in the interpretation of the scriptures
and the recording of sermons. The fifth is to observe the regulations
and Precepts. The sixth is to encourage and to make fellow members
happy so that they may progress in their study and work. The
seventh is to do one's best for the development of the Order
in all ways. The eighth is to assert public-mindedness. The
ninth is not to have a feeling of pride in offering benefits
to others. The tenth is to convert the notorious person so that
the person is penitent for the past, becomes a model for other
people and warns and encourages them not to do wrong. The last
is to have those of good fame enter the Order who will naturally
provide encouragement to other people, thus revealing the position
of the Order."
35.
Whang Jung-Shin-Haing one day asked the Great Master,
"Buddhas have taught us not to have a feeling of pride
when we offer something to others and Christ taught not to let
the left hand know what the right hand was giving away, yet
our Great Master has established a system of grading the followers'
merits and having each person's grade recorded. Does this not
stimulate a scheming attitude on the part of the contributors?"
In reply the Great Master said, "For those who do works of charity,
it is proper to do them without a sense of good deeds. Only
then may the inexhaustible merits be assured. But for those
who must honor and commend good work, it is necessary to evaluate
clearly."
36.
The Great Master said,
"Be the master of the Public Way. It has been customary
to leave one's private household or business, whether big or
small, to one's own children. However, the household and business
of the public are to be inherited by those who are public-spirited
and who work for the public. You should be aware of this fact,
and if you make your selves into such public-spirited people,
all of our facilities, laws and honors will be yours and will
be under your administration. This Order belongs to the public
and must be taken care of by those with high morals and strong
public spirit. I hope you will all endeavor to become masters
of this Public Way."
37.
The Great Master gave instructions to the general teachers of
the Law at Temples of Won Buddhism,
"In this time of turmoil you should remember to appreciate
the Four Graces with all your heart and help the general members
to recognize how great and important the Four Graces are, thus
leading them toward a sound and steady life of constant appreciation.
I have observed also that lately some other religious Orders
have often urged their believers to contribute a lot of material
things, causing the be- lievers to become neglectful of their
own households. Thus, they have not only left a bad impression
on society, but have also found themselves in difficulty maintaining
their Orders. We should therefore guide and encourage our believers
to be faithful to their jobs and live a better life through
being associated with our study. And although it is a time when
the walls between men and women are coming down, it is not necessary
for them to be put up again. I do advise you to be careful in
your associations with the opposite sex, so as never to harm
the dignity of the Order. I dare say that the prosperity of
the Order relies upon your faithful observance of these three
points."
38.
The Great Master gave instructions to the general teachers of
the Law at Temples of Won Buddhism,
"You who are directly responsible for the teaching of the
Law should be honest and upright in giving and receiving materials,
swift and clear in budget accounting, indifferent to groundless
rumors, should never comment carelessly on the political situations
of the times, and should never interfere with other religions
or the object of their worship. Cover up the faults of fellow
believers, do away with conceit, be harmonious with all fellow
believers, but don't carry this to extremes. Be particularly
careful between men and women and let meritorious deeds of others
be widely known, but be modest about your own. Try not to monopolize
the faith of the believers and don't let the believers' desires
for public works be limited to a regional temple. Remember that
you are representing the Prime Master of the Order in your appointed
post and I ask you to do your best to fulfill your tasks and
not to disgrace your privilege."
39.
The Great Master used to call Cho Kap-Chong and others at the
end of the fiscal year and ask them to bring statements of the
accounts of the previous year and budgets for the new year.
He examined the accounts carefully and said,
"If the income and expenditures of a home, organization
or nation do not balance, the home, organization or nation will
not prosper. In the past, those of moral training were not supposed
to pay attention to economics, but in the new world, since we
must perfectly integrate our spirit and body, we must establish
a system of financial records in order to compare income and
expenditures at both the headquarters and the regional temples.
By this system we intend to make our spiritual and physical
lives perfect and to create a system for grading the level of
the practice of the Law and activi- ties of the Order."
40.
The Great Master told the teachers of the Law at Temples of
Won Buddhism,
"When you speak or write for the purpose of teaching the
public, be careful not to speak only empty phrases which don't
apply to real life. Don't exaggerate or use mysterious or difficult
expressions only to draw attention; avoid talk that is directed
only at certain aspects of the training, for such talk will
never be useful to society or help anyone to become enlightened."
41.
The Great Master said,
"You who are to lead the public should be alert at all
times so as to know in what direction the public is inclining.
If you notice any signs of poor public morals, you should try
to correct them either by word or deed. For example, if the
people are reluctant to do physical labor, engage yourself in
physical labor to stimulate them. Toward one of excessive pride
or fame, you should practice being modest so that later the
person will become ashamed. Thus, you should take the initiative
in practicing correct morality in every way possible, in order
to prevent and cure the evils of the public. This is the way
for Bodhisattvas to lead and teach the public."
42.
The Great Master said,
"In order to create a new Order in any era, it is important
not only to have a doctrine and system superior to those of
past ages, but also to find many people to follow the teachings
and system. Therefore, even in the Order of ancient Buddha,
there were ten outstanding disciples who followed and demonstrated
Buddha's teachings according to the particular ability of each
in order to encourage and stimulate the public. Thus the ten
great disciples led the spirit of the public and finally the
great order was formed.
I shall cite examples of how the ten model disciples educated
the public. When one of the disciples did something wrong and
it was thought that a direct accusation would have an effect
opposite that desired, two or three disciples would discuss
how to correct the matter with the result that one of them would
deliberately commit the same wrong deed in front of the disciple
and the others would criticize the culprit severely until the
fault was confessed and the deed corrected. Thus, the one who
had really done wrong would feel ashamed in secret and would
correct oneself. This was the way the ten disciples taught the
public. Furthermore, they sometimes pretended to be ignorant
when they knew very well, pretended to have done wrong when
they did right, pretended to be greedy at first but overcame
it later, or pretended to be in passion and gradually overcame
it in order to lead the people who were in such states. They
thus applied all kinds of methods, either openly or in secret,
to educate people just as parents would in raising their children,
or hens would in protecting their eggs. As a result, Buddha's
work of deliverance was greatly facilitated and the public was
easily educated in his Right Law. Were they not great in their
benevolence and were not their merits great? I ask you to follow
these ten disciples in establishing this Order and be the guides
and key persons in creating it."
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