"The point of my requiring you to recite the Essentials
of Daily Practice at dawn and in the evening lies not in the
verbal recitation only, but in engraving their meaning on your
mind, so that you will review them generally once a day, and
in detail in all trying situations. You have to examine and
re-examine your mind to determine whether or not there has been
a disturbance in its Original Nature, whether there has been
foolishness or unrighteousness there, whether there has been
a drive for Belief, Courage, Query and Sincerity, whether you
have been grateful in daily life, whether you have relied chiefly
on your own ability in your daily life, whether your desire
to learn has been sincere, whether you have taught others with
sincerity, and whether or not you have served others. You have
to examine your mind until you reach the stage where your mind
operates perfectly without even examining it. It is said that
the human mind is so subtle that it exists when you attempt
to grasp it, and it disappears when you let it go. How can you
cultivate your mind without examining it? This is why I have
the Items for Constant Application which should be observed
during daily life, and the Items to be Noted at a Temple of
Won Buddhism, to enable you to undergo this process of self-examination.
In order for you to verify this, I also require you to keep
a diary so that your practice can be strict and integrated,
I ask you to attain sainthood as early as possible through sincere
effort.
2.
The Great Master said,
"The most effective ways to attain the Power of Cultivating
Spiritual Stability through Motion and Quietness are, first,
while you conduct yourself, do not commit yourself to such things
as will disturb your mind or rob you of
it. Stay away from such trying situations.
Secondly, in all situations, do not be attached to one thing
or covetous of it, but train your mind to be indifferent.
Thirdly, while you are doing one thing do not be attracted to
anything else, so that you may concentrate on the thing you
are involved in.
Fourthly, be mindful to practice Chanting the Name of Buddha
and Sitting Meditation whenever leisure time is available.
The most effective ways to gain the Power of Study of Facts
and Principles through Motion and
Quietness are:
First, as you manage your various human affairs, strive to become
acquainted with everything.
Secondly, seek to exchange opinions with your teacher or with
Dharma friends.
Thirdly, strive to follow the order of study in solving any
question which confronts you while you see, hear or think.
Fourthly, make an effort to practice our scriptures.
Fifthly, after you finish practicing our scriptures, broaden
your knowledge and outlook by referring to the scriptures of
the past moralists.
The most effective ways of attaining the Power of Selection
of Right Conduct through Motion and Quietness are:
First, if the thing you are engaged in is righteous, no matter
whether it is a matter of significance or a trivial one, carry
it out even at the cost of your life.
Secondly, if it is unrighteous, no matter whether it is a matter
of significance or a trivial one, do not commit yourself to
it even at the cost of your life.
Thirdly, do not be discouraged at being unable to carry out
something when you cannot put it into practice, but continue
with your sincere effort."
3.
The Great Master said,
"Religious Orders in the past emphasized practice only
in quietness because they thought mundane work and moral practice
were incompatible. Consequently, some renounced their families,
spending their entire lives in remote mountains, or some, seeking
after truth, were absorbed in reading scriptures to such an
extent that they did not even notice when the rain washed away
the grain drying in the yard. How could this be an integrated
way of study?
Therefore, we should not regard study and mundane work as two
separate entities. Successful study is realized through successful
mundane work, and successful mundane work leads to successful
study, so that together they enable you to attain the Three
Great Powers in between motion and quietness. I bid you to follow
constantly the practice of motion and quietness.
4.
The Great Master spoke to those assembled at a monastery,
"The regular training at a monastery may cause beginners
to feel uncomfortable and restricted while following exclusively
the required courses of meditation. However, there will not
be a more comfortable or more pleasant life than this when you
become proficient at it, and your mind and body gradually become
disciplined.
Hence, examine your mind to determined whether you are leading
a hard or comfortable life while you follow the daily required
courses. Those who feel monasterial life to be hard and troublesome
have not sufficiently divested themselves of the Karma accumulated
in worldly life. For those who do find the monasterial life
pleasant, the door to attainment of Buddhahood is gradually
opened."
5.
The Great Master said,
"The degree of sincerity with which one manages affairs
depends on whether or not one knows the relationship between
the work and oneself.
For instance, the reason one earnestly drives oneself to earn
money for food and clothing is that one knows that food and
clothing are indispensable to life; the reason one who is sick
is sincere in seeking medical treatment is that one knows it
has a vital relationship to the maintenance of health; the reason
a student is sincere in the effort to learn is that the student
knows learning is important to one's future. The person who
understands this principle will overcome all hardship and obstacles
that confront one during practice. Such a person will not complain
even if treated with indifference by the teacher or fellow members.
The person who does not understand this principle will be impatient
with studies, will be discontented with teachers and fellow
members and will feel unwilling to cultivate the mind or accomplish
any public business in an altruistic spirit.
Reconsider rationally whether you have recognized the relationship
between your study in this Order and yourself."
6.
The Great Master said,
"The hunter trying to hunt a lion or a tiger does not shoot
a hare or a pheasant recklessly because shooting at small animals
will cause failure in catching the larger ones. Likewise, one
who has made a decision to study the great Way is similar to
this hunter in not being concerned with small objects because
of knowing that this small avarice will be an obstacle to achieving
the goal of studying the great Way. Hence, one who seeks to
attain Buddhahood should be able to ignore all worldly desires
and attachments in order to accomplish the goal. if one cannot
shed trivial worldly desires and is thus unable to achieve that
great goal, he or she will be compared to the hunter whose shooting
at a hare or a pheasant causes the loss of the lion or the tiger.
What a pity it is! Therefore, I ask those who seek to attain
Buddhahood to cut themselves off from trivial worldly desires."
7.
The Great Muter said to those assembled at a monastery.
"I have heard that one of the members of Yungkwang Temple
of Won Buddhism was working to earn wages near the temple on
the day of a regular Dharma meeting. What do you think of him?"
One of his disciples replied,
"It is wrong for him to prefer money to the study of the
Law. However, if his parents, wife and children were starving,
would it not be right for him to try to save his family from
hunger and cold even though he missed a regular Dharma meeting?"
The Great Master said,
"That makes sense, but as the regular Dharma meeting is
not held every day, one who is truly eager to study the Law
and who regards the Law as valuable could have tried to prepare
food for that one day by any means in advance. The fact that
he works for a living on the very day of the regular Dharma
meeting shows his indifference and insincerity toward the study
of the Law. It is as I have already mentioned in the Items to
be Noted at a Temple of Won Buddhism. Even if one was unable
to prepare enough food for one's own family on the regular Dharma
meeting day with advance effort, there is a principle that one
will find something to eat if one is sincere and wholehearted
in the study of the Law. For instance, a' soon as a baby is
born it grows on the heavenly sustenance of its mother's milk."
8.
The Great Master said at a regular Dharma meeting:
"Today I am going to tell you how to make money. Listen,
and try to become well-to-do.
The way I suggest is not by any outward technical skill, but
by using one's own mind inwardly. Our doctrine can be used as
a way to make money. Look at how much money is wasted wantonly
for wine, sex and gambling! How much they waste for vanity and
display! How much they lose because of their laziness and loss
of public confidence! if a person who used to live without any
standard of life comes to the regular Dharma meeting to learn
the various laws and regulations, practices that which is recommended
and abstains from that which is prohibited, that person may
be able to save the money which otherwise will leak out and
be wasted. The property acquired from such diligence and economy
and the public's confidence in that person will both increase.
This is how to make money.
The world, however, does not understand that religious practice
is closely related to making money. They say that they cannot
practice the Law or that they cannot come to the regular Dharma
meeting because they are forced to earn money. This is certainly
a one-sided view. Hence, those who understand this principle
will become more confident in the fact that as they are poor,
they need to study the Law more, and as they need to gain money,
they should attend the regular Dharma meeting more faithfully.
Then they will enjoy the integrated progress of practice of
the Law and daily life."
9.
The Great Master said,
"People generally think that Sitting Meditation, Chanting
the Name of Buddha or reading scriptures at a quiet place are
the only ways of practicing the Law. They do not know that there
is a way of practice to train one's mind in practical daily
life. How, then, can they be expected to know the great practice
way of Internal Meditation and External Meditation?
Generally, the great way of practicing the Law is first to study
the principle of one's Nature, to know the state of the Nature
which is originally not attached to anything and to act with
detachment toward anything in practical life. Those who know
this way will succeed in attaining the superior ability of practice
within a certain time. If one practicing the Way is not attached
or drawn to any other matter while doing something, or not drawn
to another concern while doing something else, then one is practicing
concentration of mind. One who manages all affairs in good order
after fully comprehending the principle of them is actually
practicing the Study of Facts and Principles. If one is not
attached or drawn to anything while doing this or that, one
is actually practicing the Selection of Right Conduct. Thus
one can place emphasis on Chanting the Name of Buddha and Sitting
Meditation at one's leisure, to attain concentration of spirit,
or on practice in scriptures for the Study of Facts and Principles,
regardless of whether one is working or not. If one can follow
this way, the Power of Cultivation of Spiritual Stability will
accumulate by itself in one's mind, the Power of Study of Facts
and Principles will be attained and the Power of Selection of
Right Conduct will grow.
Look! Song Kyu did not even attend the three month intensive
regular training session of meditation as he was absorbed in
his duties at Headquarters or at regional temples since his
conversion. His ability, if investigated, shows that by his
Power of Cultivation of Spiritual Stability he has almost completely
emancipated himself from attachments and avarice, so that he
is little given to feelings of joy or anger, pleasure or sorrow,
or to personal relationships of closeness and intimacy or remoteness
and estrangement. By his Power of Study of Facts and Principles
he has generally mastered the analysis of Right from Wrong,
of Advantage from Disadvantage, and of the Absolute Unity and
its Components. By this Power of Selection of Right Conduct
he ably analyzes Right from Wrong, and he will practice what
is right nine times out of ten. Besides, the essays he has written
and sent to me show that he understands the deep state of profound
truth, and they are written in an easy style and in very good
order so that they need almost no correction. In short, he will
become a very important person who can be of benefit to the
public wherever he goes. This is the result of his constant
practice regardless of whether he is in Motion or in Quietness.
You, too, should devote yourselves to the practice of Continual
Meditation under the principle of 'Oneness in Motion and in
Quietness' so that you may attain fully the Three Great Powers."
10.
The Great Master said,
"When you are free from work, always prepare yourself for
things to do, and while you are doing something, always keep
the tranquility of mind which you had when you were free from
work. If you do not prepare yourself while you are free from
work for the things that must be done, you cannot but get confused
and upset by trying situations, and if you cannot keep the tranquility
of mind which you had when you were free from work while you
are doing something, you will become enslaved by that situation."
11.
In the course of discussion, Chun Eum-Kwang was expressing his
opinion on the subject
"The difference between those who practice the Law and
those who do not."
The argument went as follows:
"Even those who do not practice our doctrine utilize the
Threefold Learnings in some cases. However, they become careless
and indifferent as soon as the situation has passed, so that
they do not make any progress m the Threefold Learnings during
their whole lifetime. As one who studies the Law practices the
Threefold Learrings continuously, regardless of Motion or Quietness
or of working or not working, he will achieve a great personality."
The Great Master, hearing this, said,
"Eum-Kwang's opinion has some sense in it. I shall make
this point clearer with some concrete examples. Suppose three
people are sitting here, the first one trying to invent a machine,
the second one practicing Sitting Meditation, and the third
one sitting still for no reason. Though there is no difference
in the ways they are sitting, after a long time the differences
between them will emerge. The one who is contemplating a machine
will invent a machine, the one who is practicing Sitting Meditation
will attain the power of concentration and the one who is sitting
for no reason will attain nothing. Thus there is a great difference
in results after a long period of continued effort.
To give another example, there is a man with whom I studied
for a while at an institute when I was a child. He had little
interest in studying, but used to derive pleasure from singing.
He would sing while reading or walking. I saw him a couple of
years ago and he had not given up singing even though Ms hair
was gray and he had never received professional recognition.
As for me, I happened to have had an interest in the field of
truth since my childhood, and have had little interest in reading
books; my thoughts, day and night, concerned the abstruse principles
of the universe. In my sincere search for Truth I have quite
often been absorbed in meditation without sparing myself, and
my sincere effort has never ceased; thus, I have been leading
a life of truth. This illustrates that the selection of one's
future career is most important. Once a right way is decided,
the foundation of success lies in continuous and sincere effort
toward that goal."
12.
The Great Master said,
"Although many patriarchs of Zen Sects have expounded various
ways and means to Zen, the main idea lies in calming delusions
and in fostering the true Nature of mind, so that the Divine
Wisdom in the Void may appear. Therefore, we take the following
as the principle of meditation: 'A continuously and fully awakened
state of mind in tranquility is right, whereas a senseless state
of no-consciousness in tranquility is wrong; the tranquility
in the awakened state of mind is right, while delusions in the
awakened state of mind are wrong'."
13.
Once the Great Master went to a monastery at the time of Sitting
Meditation and asked those meditating,
"Now that you are meditating and overcoming your drowsiness,
what are you going to do in the future?"
Kwon Tong-Hwah replied, "The human spirit is originally integrated
and bright, however, it loses its integrity and the light of
wisdom because it is scattered by situations which arouse avarice.
The purpose of practice in Sitting Meditation is to calm illusions
and to integrate the scattered mind in order to attain the power
of Cultivation and the light of wisdom."
Upon hearing this, the Great Master said, "If you know the merits
of Cultivation you will continue sincere practice without any
encouragement, however, you should be very careful about the
method. If, without knowing the right way, you become impatient
or try to look for miraculous sighs, this is the wrong way to
meditate. It sometimes gives rise to more illusions and you
will contract some disease or fall into evil ways. Hence, you
have to check the ways of meditation frequently or consult your
seniors for instruction, lest you fail in your practice of the
Law. If you continue this practice correctly and sincerely,
you will easily attain freedom of mind and body. All Buddhas,
sages and great ones in the past have attained great power of
mind through this way of meditation."
14.
The Great Master said to the assembly at a monastery,
"Recently, various Zen sects have been arguing the rightness
and wrongness of various methods of meditation. I recommend
the 'Method of Concentrating the Mind on the Lower Abdomen (Tan-Jun-Joo)'
above the others. You must practice concentration of mind exclusively
at the time of concentration, and practice training in Buddhist
abstruse questions (Kung-An), once in a while at the proper
times. Comprehension of kung-an does not occur when one concentrates
for a long time with a dull spirit. It is more effective to
train in kung-an with a bright spIrit on the proper occasions."
15.
To one of his disciple's questions about the principle of the
Rising of Watery Energy and the Falling of Flaming Energy in
the human body, the Great Master replied,
"By its original nature, water is cool and clear and flows
down, while fire by its nature is hot and turbid and burns upward.
When you are absorbed in troublesome thought, your head feels
heavy and your spirit impure, with the sap of life being dried
up. This is because the flaming Energy rises and the Watery
Energy falls. If the troublesome thoughts recede and the energy
becomes placid, your head becomes cooler, the spirit brighter,
and you feel pure saliva circulating in your mouth. This is
because Watery Energy rises and Flaming Energy falls."
16.
The Great Master said,
"There are two ways to gain the power of Cultivation: one
is the cultivation of character, and the other the cultivation
of Mind-Nature. For instance, a soldier's stable mind on the
battlefield is the result of training outward character. The
stable mind of one of moral training in favorable or unfavorable
circumstances is the result of conquering the five evil desires
through training of Mind-Nature inwardly. Thus, the training
of a soldier's character cannot by itself achieve the power
of Cultivation unless it is integrated with training in Mind-Nature;
a monk's inward power of trained Mind-Nature cannot be the perfect
power of Cultivation if he has not trained his character outwardly
in actual trying situations."
17.
Yang Toh-Shin said to the Great Master, "The Great Master has
said that the mind must not be drawn to another affair while
one is dealing with a certain matter, nor drawn to this matter
while managing another one. In other words, one must have a
peaceful and placid state of mind concerning that which one
is doing. We disciples have been trying to practice this. Recently,
I had to boil a potion of herbs and sew at the same time. As
I gave all my attention to sewing, the herb medicine burned.
If r had taken care of the boiling herbs while sewing, my mind
would have been distracted by that matter, but because I gave
all my attention to sewing, the medicine burned. what would
be the correct way to practice the Law in a case like this?"
The Great Master replied,
"As it was your duty to take care of two things at the
same time in a case like that, you should have fulfilled both
of your duties with sincere effort. That would have been complete
and perfect concentration and true practice. Because your mind
was attached to one thing, putting the other in jeopardy, yours
was not perfect concentration; you were careless and you were
training your mind only partially. No matter whether you take
care of ten or twenty things at the same time, if you are dealing
with only those within the field of your duty, this is not carelessness
but a placid mind. This can be an indispensable method of practice
while moving.
What you should guard against is thinking about things you don't
have to be concerned about, being curious to hear about what
you don't have to hear, seeing what you don't have to see, or
interfering in what you don't have to interfere in. If you aren't
careful, your mind is drawn to other matters when you should
be concentrating on only one thing and thus you are continuously
caught in worthless delusions. This is harmful to the concentration
of those who want to cultivate their minds. If you take care
of matters within the field of your duty, treatment of thousands
of matters a day will not interfere with your practice of concentration
of mind."
18.
The Great Master asked,
"Do you know why your mind sometimes feels peaceful or
at other times disturbed while you are practicing concentration
of mind? It depends on whether you are doing righteous work
or unrighteous work. One who does righteous things finds them
complicated and difficult at first, but the mind and body gradually
become unfettered and peaceful. It becomes easier for one to
concentrate and one's future opens up. One who engages in unrighteous
works may find them easy and joyful at first, but the mind and
body gradually become complicated and painful. It becomes harder
to concentrate and the future becomes narrower. Hence, one who
wants to practice pure concentration of mind should first of
all eliminate unrighteous wishes and cease unrighteous conduct."
19.
The Great Master asked Lee Soon-Soon,
"How do you practice the Law at home?"
He answered,
"I insist on making my mind stable."
The Great Master again asked,
"What method of making your mind stable do you use?"
Lee Soon-Soon replied,
"Although I am trying to make my mind stable, I don't know
how to do it."
The Great Master said,
"Generally, one is situated either in Motion or Quietness
and the way to reach Tranquility of Meditation in both situations
is again divided into two approaches:
Internal Tranquility of Meditation and External Tranquility
of Meditation.
The External Tranquility of Meditation will eliminate the causes
of evil which disturb one by bringing forward justice and by
selecting right actions from wrong actions lest one should commit
oneself to absurd and entangled work whenever one is put in
a trying situation. The Internal Tranquility of Meditation is
to calm stirring desires in order to foster the originally integrated
spirit, through practicing Chanting the Name of Buddha or Sitting
Meditation, or by all other means m which one is free from work.
Because these two ways of meditation are the foundations of
each other, one should follow both ways in order to attain calmness
of mind."
20.
Song Toh-Sung loved to read newspapers so much that he stopped
his required official work to read them. If he had some urgent
job to do, he would at least take a look at the headlines before
returning to work.
Seeing this, the Great Master warned him, saying,
"If you are robbed of your mind just by reading a trivial
newspaper, I am concerned whether you will behave the same way
in doing other things. Everyone has both things one desires
to do and doesn't want to do. One loses an integrated spirit
by becoming attached to a desirable thing when one meets it.
Meeting an undesired thing and being drawn to it, one forgets
one's duty and gets off the right path, thereby inviting worries
and suffering. Such a person never attains stability of mind
and the light of wisdom. The reason I warn you of such a trivial
matter is to show you the reality of your attachment to a thing:
therefore, do not let your mind be attached to what you like
to do nor to what you hate to do. Be one who can utilize the
situations by practicing the right principles. Do not be one
who is defeated by all trying situations. Then you will hold
your true and proper Original Nature forever."
21.
Lee Chung-Choon said to the Great Master,
"Does a great one enlightened to the Way, become attached
to anything?"
The Great Master replied,
"Whoever becomes attached to something cannot be called
a great one enlighened to the Way."
Lee Chung-Choon said,
"Jungsan loves his children. Doesn't that show his attachment
to them?"
The Great Master replied,
"Would you call even senseless logs and rocks great ones
enlightened to the Way? Attachment means that one finds it difficult
to leave a loved one; when separated, one misses the loved one
so much that one's moral training or public duty is disturbed.
To Jungsan such a thing does not happen."
22.
The Great Master said,
"Ordinary people of the world consider that only those
who have read many sutras and scriptures are enlightened to
the Way. They trust in the Truth when it is explained by citing
a word from ancient sutras, but many of them become rather insincere
to the same Truth when it is directly expounded in plain words.
What an unreasonable way of thinking! Sutras are the Truth that
is revealed by the ancient sages and saints and the philosophers
in order to enlighten all people; but through the ages since
their origination, expatiations and annotations have been added
until they have increased to a countless number of books and
sutras. It is difficult to read through them even if we make
it a life's goal. But if we should do so, how could we find
time to practice and acquire the power of Cultivation, the power
of Study, and the power of Selection, so that we might become
outstanding persons of great character? Therefore, the ancient
Buddha foretold the changes of the Law according to the changes
of the times, by dividing it into the periods of the Correct
Law, the Law of Semblance and the Law of Termination. The main
cause of the changes of the Law lies in the fact that sutras
are complicated and that the unenlightened people of later generations
lost their power of spiritual independence and acted foolishly,
causing the correct Law to wane. Therefore, when the period
of the Correct Law returns, all people can be trained through
a simplified new doctrine and convenient method of practice;
the correct Law can be transmitted through words and accepted
by heart, the great Way will be experienced, and each person
will become enlightened to the Law. Then what good will the
study and reading of the uncountable numbers of books and sutras
do? You disciples refrain from being attracted only to the numerous
and intricate ancient sutras, but make efforts yourself to study
simplified doctrines an??? sd more convenient methods. When
you acquire distinguished ability, look over the ancient sutras
and all other philosophies for reference. Then, this short reference
will be more effective than ten years of reading sutras."
23.
The Great Master said,
"Has any one of you found a sutra which you can read at
any moment? Ordinary people think that the Three CLasstcs and
the Four Books, and the uncountable numbers of sutras and other
bibles are the only sutras, but they never realize the great
sutra exhibited in our real life. This is really a regrettable
fact. If people attentively observe the world with an enlightened
mind, all things will appear to them as nothing but sutras;
when they open their eyes, they will see nothing but sutras;
when they hear, they will hear nothing but sutras; when they
speak it will be as if they were reading nothing but sutras.
Any time or place they move, they will utilize sutras and see
the exhibition of sutras constantly. Generally, sutras clearly
tell about both Facts and Principles. It explains Facts by means
of analyzing Right from Wrong, and Advantage from Disadvantage;
it explains Principles by means of exhibiting the Absolute Unity
and its Components, and Being and Non-being, leading people
on to a righteous path as human beings. The sutras of Confucianism,
Buddhism and other religions may be showing the same conception.
Facts and Principles, however, do not actually exist in any
scripture, but the whole world itself is the manifestation of
Facts and Principles. We are born, live, die and are reborn
in Facts and Principles. Therefore, they are inseparable from
our life, and the world itself is a great sutra in which Facts
and Principles are exhibited. We carefully observe right and
wrong, and good and evil in this sutra, embracing righteous
and advantageous things and abandoning wrong and disadvantageous
things. And at the same time, we should also carefully observe
the truth of the Absolute Unity and its Components, Being and
Non-being, and must become enlightened to the origin of Truth.
Why, then, should we not regard this sutra as the living sutra?
I ask you, t??? sherefore, to notice this great sutra of the
real world prior to reading the countless and complicated written
sutras."
24.
One of the disciples asked,
"I am not efficient when I do anything. How may I become
wise in doing things?"
The Great Master said,
"Before you attempt to do a thing, train yourself in advance
so that you will be prepared for future occasions. When you
attempt to do a thing, be careful in your selection of what
is right from what is wrong. After you have finished doing something,
do not forget to examine your work and even if it belongs to
other people, faithfully continue this reflection upon it. Then,
you will become skilled in doing all things without difficulty."
25.
The Great Master said to an assembly at a regular Dharma meeting,
"When someone is giving you a sermon or a lecture, you should
be as attentive to it as if you were receiving a precious jewel.
Even though a master of the Law or a preacher may speak very
useful words, these words will be of very little practical use
if the listeners are inattentive, insincere in their listening
or unable to understand the essential points. Therefore, listen
to any sermon or lecture with full attention, and try to consider
it as an important point that must be questioned as a practical
exercise in personal training. Then you will gain much from
the presentation and, at the same time, the words will improve
your personal conduct and increase the merit of our regular
Dharma meeting."
26.
At Bongnae Cloister, the Great Master pointed at a lamp and
asked,
"Why is the underside of the lamp so dark while its sides
are so bright?"
Kim Nam-Chun answered,
"This is just like myself. I have been living with you
in the same house and studying under your direction for many
years, but my knowledge and practice are still inferior to my
Dharma brothers who are living far away and who come and go."
The Great Master, smiling, asked the same question again to
Song Kyu.
He answered,
"The light of the lamp goes upward, brightening distant
places, and the lamp stand which is very near makes its underside
very dark. This may be compared to one who is well aware of
the faults of other people but is still blind to the faults
of one's own self. This is because people can correctly reflect
upon the strengths or weaknesses and good or bad points of another
person because no prejudice is in their minds. On the other
hand, when they reflect upon themselves, the notion of 'own-self'
which covers the light of wisdom prevents them from recognizing
their own right or wrong conduct."
The Great Master asked,
"How, then, can imperfect people reflect upon themselves
as well as upon others correctly, without a notion of 'own-self'?"
Song Kyu answered,
"They should not be bound by joy or anger and pleasure
or sorrow, and should eliminate all kinds of notions from their
minds. Then they will be free from the notion of 'own-self'
and others when they reflect upon themselves and others."
The Great Master said,
"You have spoken correctly."
27.
The Great Master said,
"If you wish to establish a perfect personality and attain
extensive knowledge and views, do not become attached to any
side. At the present time most people are one-sided and fail
to attain the perfect Way. Confucians and Buddhist monks are
bound to their own traditions. Other religious people or social
workers are also attached to what they know and what they practice,
and thus have limited their understanding of Right and Wrong
and Advantage and Disadvantage. They do not try to adapt other
people's laws for their own use, and fail to establish a perfect
character."
One of the disciples asked,
"If we go outside our own traditions and claims, I am afraid
we might lose our identity."
The Great Master said, "My words are not that we should adapt
all laws at random or lose our identity but rather that we must
adapt other Laws extensively on the basis of a more reasonable
subjectivity. Try to underttand my words correctly."
28.
The Great Master said,
"Under two conditions the wisdom of ordinary people is
often darkened. One is their covetous conduct which leads them
away from the middle way and darkens their wisdom. The other
is their attachment to their own skilled field, which makes
them ignorant of other fields. One of moral training must pay
special attention to these two conditions."
29.
One of the members of the Tonghak religion, which is one of
the religions indigenous to Korea, came to see the Great Master
and said,
"Please receive one who has heard of your name, so widely
known. I have come a long way."
The Great Master said,
"Then, there must be something in your mind that you wish
to ask me."
The man answered by asking,
"How can I broaden my scope of knowledge?"
The Great Master replied to him,
"You are practicing the way to broaden the scope of your
knowledge by asking me that question. I am also broadening my
scope of knowledge by listening to your talk. Let me give you
some examples. if people need more utilities for their household,
they should go to a market to get what they need. if one in
business doesn't have enough knowledge to do business, knowledge
is acquired from the world. Therefore, all my knowledge is not
obtained by myself but from many people with whom I have talked.
From you I have learned about the Tonghak religion and when
I come to talk with a person of some other religion I may also
gain knowledge of that religion."
30.
The Great Master said,
"Originally, human nature contains no good or evil elements.
A good or an evil personality is created through the formation
of habits. Habits originate when an idea is repeated many times
because a particular environment or situation is met with repeatedly.
For example, suppose you made a great decision to study the
Law and came to this place of study to see a master and other
members following the laws and regulations of the Order. In
the beginning you would find all things awkward to do, and adjusting
to them would be difficult. However, if you did not change your
intention of studying the Law and continued practicing constantly,
gradually your mind and conduct would become adjusted to the
practices. Finally, and with little effort, you will become
naturally harmonized with the circumstances. This is what is
meant by habit. No matter whether one forms a good habit or
a bad habit in each environment, the principle of habit formation
is still the same. But people easily acquire bad habits, while
it is more difficult to acquire good habits. Moreover, even
in the course of the discipline needed to make good things a
habit, if you become a little absent-minded you will find yourself
moving toward bad habits unconsciously, which is exactly what
you do not want to happen. You must be attentive at all times
to this warning in order to establish a good personality."
31.
The Great Master said,
"According to my experience as a master of both male and
female disciples, males generally are generous but seem to be
insincere and lacking in steadiness, which is their demerit.
On the other hand, females are generally scrupulous but are
also single-minded and lack leniency, which is their demerit.
To establish perfect characters, males must make an effort to
foster steadiness and sincerity in their inner minds along with
their generosity. On the other hand, females must make an effort
to foster a harmonized and generous mind along with their scrupulousness."
32.
The Great Master, seeing one of his disciples eat his meals
too fast and talk too often, said,
"Even in eating a meal or in speaking a word, we find a
chance to practice the Law. if we eat too fast or overeat, we
will easily become ill, or, if we talk improperly and unduly,
calamity will follow us. Can we, then, be mindless in eating
a meal or in speaking a word even if it is a trivial matter?
Therefore, those who practice the Law regard all occasions as
chances to practice the Way, and whenever they do anything,
find pleasure in doing the thing properly. Therefore, you also
must try to practice this study"
33.
Moon Jung-Kyu asked,
"In a trying situation, what standard should I take in
selecting right from wrong?"
The Great Master answered,
"Reflect upon three things as your standard in selecting
right conduct from wrong. First, reflect upon your original
vow. Second, reflect upon the original spirit of the master
teaching the Law. Third, judging from the situation at that
time, reflect upon whether or not you are one-sided. With this
standard, you will not always be lost in practicing the Law,
and your management of things will naturally become harmonized."
34.
The Great Master, while crossing a steep mountain pass behind
Chungnyun Hermitage with Lee Choon-Poong, said,
"At a steep pass, naturally I can practice concentration
of mind. Therefore, on an ordinary path we stumble more easily
than on a rough path. In doing things, we make more mistakes
in easy situations than in difficult ones. Those who practice
the Law must follow steadfastly the standard of study everywhere,
whether the going is steep or gentle, or in anything, whether
it be easy or difficult. Then the practice of Meditation in
Motion will be successful."
35.
The Great Master said,
"Have you ever seen heavenly ones? Heavenly ones don't
abide in Heaven. Babies may be said to be heavenly ones. These
little ones are provided with sustenance which came from Heaven
through their mothers because their minds are not even slightly
tainted with evil. However, in direct proportion to the growth
of an evil mind, the sustenance from Heaven ceases to come.
Likewise, those of moral training, if all evils are cleared
from their minds, will be provided with immeasurable sustenance
from Heaven. On the other hand, if their minds become affected
with evil, the sustenance from Heaven will cease."
36.
One of the disciples asked,
"How should I practice Cultivation of Spiritual Stability
in order to get rid of the five desires and concentrate on moral
training, so that I may have the life of ease and composure
that was the life of Buddha?"
The Great Master said,
"Those desires should be transformed into a greater wish
instead of being eliminated. If you convert those little desires
into a big wish and can concentrate your mind upon it, the little
desires will naturally decrease. Then eventually you will have
a life of ease and composure."
37.
The Great Master said,
"I do not teach that you must
forcefully eliminate the feelings of joy, anger, pleasure and
sorrow, but say that you must control the feelings properly
in terms of place and time, and that you may consummate your
feelings freely as long as you do not exceed the middle way.
I say also that you must not despise common talent or worthless
desire, but only regret that the talent and the desire are not
put to great ends. Therefore, what I teach you is only that
you must turn a worthless thing into a great thing, and that
you must turn the effort which you have made for a worthless
desire toward a valued one. This is the way to achieve a great
work."
38.
The Great Master said,
"You must recognize in advance that in both the course
of your practice of the Law and in business you will face a
very dangerous moment. The dangerous moment for one who practices
the Law is the moment when one becomes wiser. The dangerous
moment for one in business is that moment when one comes to
possess all rights. The reason for this is that if the one who
practices the Law is of low fundamental ability, they will easily
become satisfied with only a little wisdom, and become less
sincere in practicing the greater Truth; while in the case of
the business-person with low fundamental ability, sense of self-interest
stirs and one becomes arrogant, which prevents one from further
development. if one practicing the Law and one in business are
not careful at that moment, eventually they will begin an unchecked
descent into the depths of retrogression."
39.
One of the disciples who had been devout for some decades and
had made particular effort in practicing Sitting Meditation
came to be able to foresee with his clear mind whether or not
a guest would come, or the hour it would begin to rain and the
hour it would stop raining.
The Great Master, seeing this, said,
"This is nothing but a momentary phenomenon of false spirit
which appears in the course of moral practice like the glow
of a firefly. You must be alert and rid yourself of the false
spirit. If you become interested in the phenomenon of the false
spirit, you will not only fail in becoming enlightened to the
great Truth, but you will also be prone to fall into the wicked
world of asura. That cannot be permitted in our Order of the
Right Law."
40.
Song Byuk-Cho, putting emphasis only on Sitting Meditation,
wished impetuously to raise the Watery Energy and to let the
Flaming Energy fall in his body, but only got headaches for
his effort.
The Great Master, seeing this, said,
"This headache is a result of an incorrect study method.
The perfect way to study should include constant practice in.
Motion and in Quietness. In Motion, the study of Selection of
Right Conduct should be practiced mainly when facing all situations,
thus obtaining the Three Great Powers. In Quietness, the Cultivation
of Spiritual Stability and the Study of Facts and Principles
should be practiced mainly to obtain the Three Great Powers.
Those who know this way of studying and practice it will find
little difficulty in their study, and may keep their easy and
composed state of mind like the calm surface of a great and
windless sea. Eventually, they may naturally let the Watery
Energy rise and the Flaming Energy fall in their bodies. On
the other hand, those who are ignorant about this way of studying
will foolishly become ill and continue to suffer from it for
the rest of their lives. You should be most careful of this."
41.
The Great Master said,
"My Law is formed on the basis of the essential ways of
humanity into a more perfect and easier style than the old prejudiced
and difficult ones, so that all people may enter the Great Way
without any difficulties. Some people, however, without understanding
my intention, still harbor the old way of thinking, saying that
those who want to practice the Law must go to a quiet mountain
and must acquire such supernatural power as to be able to transplant
mountains, cross river by walking on water and bring forth the
wind and rain freely. They also say that scriptures, sermons
and discussions are not necessary, but the practice of Chanting
the Name of Buddha and Sitting Meditation alone are needed.
Thus, some occasionally do not practice correctly, as I taught
them to. This is really regrettable. Many people in temples,
monasteries or in the remote, high mountains are still wandering
without any occupation, but seek only for supernatural power
which can gain 'Insight into Spirit and into the Way.' If one
seeks the Law apart from our mundane world, or tries to attain
only supernatural power, ignoring the way of humanity, one is
seeking a wicked way. Therefore you disciples, as I have taught
you, practice the principles of the way of humanity and the
principles of training in your everyday life. Then eventually
you will be blessed with both fortune and wisdom, and at the
same time the supernatural power and the power of meditation
will be contained in it. This is the reasonable way of practicing
the Law and the Great Way rooted in the source of Truth."
42.
The Great Master said,
"In an order of the Right Law, supernatural power is not
valued, for it is not practically advantageous and has proved
to be rather harmful to the work of saving people. Those who
seek for supernatural power often go to the mountains, avoiding
the mundane life, and spend all their lives chanting incantations
or esoteric words, being attached only to the idea of nothingness.
If all people in the world come to adore such a way of life,
who will do the work of scholars and officials, farmers, artisans
and merchants in the world? The principle of human morality
will be destroyed. Also, because they are seeking to acquire
unusual faculties in order to fulfill unreasonable ideas and
unrighteous desires, without knowing the source of morality,
they will use miracles which may appear as momentary false spirits,
deceiving and harming other people. Therefore, the saints said
that 'supernatural power is incidental,' and that 'such power
which is not founded on morality is no more than witchcraft.'
However, when people practice the righteous Way and act decently
with little avarice, the light of one's Nature occasionally
may be accompanied by some mysterious phenomena. These are natural
results that were obtained without any intention, and are beyond
comprehension by ordinary people whose minds are full of incorrect
thought."
43.
The Great Master said,
"Occasionally, one who has made a decision to study the
Law cannot judge one's own fundamental ability, but tries just
to become enlightened to the great Principle by momentary efforts
alone. If one studies with such an attitude, one will become
susceptible to serious physical disease. Or, when things go
against one's wishes, one will quickly become tired of the study
of the Law, and will give up the life of moral training. You
should be careful of this. But some practicing the Way may attain
Buddhahood at once. Such is the one of superior fundamental
ability who practiced moral discipline in many former lives.
Those of middle or low fundamental ability must do their best
and strive to practice the Law over a long period of time. The
sequence of the practice necessary to attain enlightenment starts
with establishing a great wish. When a great wish is established,
great faith comes after it, then great courage, followed by
great doubt, and then great sincerity; and after this great
sincerity, finally great enlightenment will be attained. This
will not happen at once, but there will be thousands of enlightenments
before attaining the final Enlightenment."
44.
The Great Matter said,
"Ordinary people, as soon as they cherish a desire to study
the raw, promptly try to attain great wisdom which is outstanding
and surpasses that of others. This is an unreasonable way of
thinking. The water of a great ocean is the result of the convergence
of many little water drops; and great fields and mountains are
also the result of the convergence of little pieces of soil.
The great achievement of Buddhas and saints was attained by
the accumulation of their spiritual efforts which are formless
and invisible. People who attempt great study and have started
a great work are due first of all to start their effort with
little things."
45.
The Great Master said,
"Some people who become Buddhist disciples in order to
search for the Way occasionally forget about their original
purpose in the course of their study and occupy their minds
in seeking outside learning and knowledge. Such people may become
possessors of wide knowledge, but their mental power will become
rather weak, making it harder for them to acquire true wisdom.
People who seek the real Way should reflect upon their original
purpose of study and must concentrate their effort upon establishing
the Three Great Powers. Then, as a result, they naturally will
be able to acquire ability which outside learning and knowledge
might provide them"
46.
The Great Master said,
"Before I had acquired awakened thought, I sometimes gave
prayers, chanted extemporaneous incantations which unexpectedly
sprang out of my head, or fell into contemplation unconsciously.
However, since an idea - the awakened thought - arose in me,
and the gate of the soul was opened, my mind darkened or lightened.
This occurred sometimes at night, sometimes during the day,
and sometimes for a period of a month. In the course of these
changes, when wisdom became brighter, everything seemed to be
clear to me and I became self-confident in my ability to know
and do anything in the world. On the other hand, when the wisdom
became darker, r was at a loss to know what to do with myself
and was suffering with anxiety about my future life. Eventually,
however, all these changes ceased, and the awakening thought
remained unchangeable."
47.
The Great Master suffered from coughing every winter and the
coughing always interrupted his preaching. He said to the assembly,
"My birthplace, Kilyong-ni, as you know, is noted for the
unusual poverty and ignorance of its people. Fortunately, however,
according to my habit from former lives, I made a decision to
study the Law in the early part of my life. But although I sought
the way with sincerity, I had to think by myself and had to
suffer from various difficult and hard ascetic disciplines because
I had no teacher to inform me about the way to become enlightened
to the Law. Sometimes I went to the mountains, staying there
overnight, or sat up on a road or in a mom until dawn. I took
baths with ice water, abstained from food, and made my room
icy cold. My ascetic discipline was so severe that I became
unconscious. Finally all doubts were solved, but a disease had
deeply rooted itself in my body and it is growing serious according
to my declining physical condition. I had no choice at that
time for I did not know how to study. You are greatly blessed
people because from my past experiences you have been taught
the perfect way of Mahayana moral practice, without suffering
from a difficult and hard ascetic discipline. Generally, the
practice of constant Zen and omnipresent Zen is the shortcut
in Mahayana moral practice. If people practice in this way,
they will achieve twice as much with half the effort. Also,
no disease will affect them. I beseech you not to practice the
wrong way and hurt your body, but remember the useless sufferings
that I had when I could not find the right way of study."
48.
The Great Master said,
"As students in a school have tests at the end of each
term, those of moral training, when they are to be elevated
in their Law Ranks or attain Buddhahood, must pass various tests
which are presented to them through favorable or adverse trial
situations. Therefore, when Buddha was attaining Buddhahood,
the Evil One, Papiyan, attacked Buddha with his countless wicked
subordinates. After this, many others of moral training also
faced such trials. According to my observations, some of you
have been given a test and are still fighting hard against it.
Some are defeated by the test, leading themselves into eternal
destruction. Some are having a promising life by passing the
test with satisfactory accomplishments. Each of you, reflect
upon your own degree of study and do your best not to fail the
test."
49.
The Great Master said, "One studying technique needs an appraisal
of one's technique from the teacher. Likewise, one practicing
the Way must have a master who can appraise right and wrong
in one's actions. Without the appraisal by a teacher the technique
of a trainee cannot be expected to be correct, and one practicing
morality cannot be expected to acquire the essentials of practice.
Therefore, my purpose in appraising your Study of Facts and
Principles is based upon my desire to lead you into a right
path and away from a crooked one. If some of you are afraid
of being appraised or are dissatisfied with my appraisal, I
must ask you what your original purpose was in coming to me,
and how you expect to make progress in your study? Correct criticism
and advice not only from me but also from other people will
be a great help in your course of study. If there are some who
complain about those people who help them in cleaning their
future way, they will become ungrateful. You disciples, therefore,
be grateful to those who give you opinions, whether it be me
or another person, and make more efforts to discover the real
essentials of your study."
50.
The Great Master said,
"One of moral training who tries to train the mind in quiet
places only, and who avoids facing all trying situations, is
like one who avoids water to catch fish. How can such a one
achieve the purpose? Therefore, those who wish to follow after
the real morality should be trained in the midst of thousands
of trying situations. Then they may attain great power which
does not waver even in the midst of thousands of trying situations.
People who have always trained their minds in situations without
trial will waver as soon as they face a trying situation. This
is like the mushroom which has grown in shade but fades when
exposed to sunbeams. Therefore, the Vimalakirtinirdesa Sutra
said, 'A Bodhisattva keeps the mind placid in noisy places,
while a non-Buddhist has a clamorous mind even in a quiet place.'
This teaches us that our study depends upon the attitude of
mind, not upon the particular outward situation."
51.
The Great Master said to many disciples,
"Try to make the best of Buddhism, and improve your life
through Buddhism, but do not spend your life uselessly by being
tied to Buddhism. Buddhism is originally a great Truth which
is designed to save the world. However, if some of you would
rather avoid the mundane world, going to the mountains, doing
nothing but practice Chanting the Name of Buddha, reading sutras,
and practicing Sitting Meditation for the rest of your lives,
then you are tied by Buddhism without any achievement towards
saving others. You will not be successful personally nor of
any use to the world."
52.
The Great Muter said to the assembly,
"People want to know the Way in order to make use of it.
If we are unable to make use of it when it is required, what
good is it and what is the we of knowing the Way?"
He continued his words, holding up his fan to the disciples,
"If I do not know how to we this on a hot day, of what
use is it to me?"
53.
The Great Master said,
"Outwardly, one who practices the Law must cut off one's
attachments to all relationships; and inwardly all attachments,
even to the concentration of mind, should be discarded. The
attachment to the concentration of mind is called 'Restraint
by the Law'. Once people are restrained by the Law, they will
never be free from it, for it restrains them even in the blink
of an eye or smallest bodily movement. How then can the great
emancipation be obtained? Human Nature, therefore, should be
fostered by a natural Way, by functioning in an active fashion,
by getting rid of unnecessary thoughts while the Six Roots are
at rest, and by exterminating injustice while the Six Roots
are at work. Why should we be especially attached to concentration
of mind when our every action depends on the concentration of
mind? Let me compare this situation to that of a baby-sitter
An excellent babysitter leaves the baby free to play and move
about, which makes the baby livelier. The baby-sitter only watches
the baby, preventing it from wandering near a dangerous place
or picking up dangerous things. If the babysitter holds the
baby all day long to protect it from danger, the baby will eventually
suffer from this restraint. The attachment to concentration
of mind will cause the same undesirable result."
54.
The Great Master said to Kim Nam-Chun,
"One day I saw a man riding on the back of a cow. He was
not leading the cow but was being taken by the cow through thorny
fields, depressions in the path, and even to a mountain. Sometimes
he fell off and sometimes tumbled until his clothes were torn
to pieces and his body miserably hurt. Watching this, I told
him to hold the reins tightly and direct the cow only along
the road, thus keeping himself safe from harm. The rider answered
that he wished he could do so, but that he had been too ignorant
to tame the cow, and had entrusted to the cow all right to determine
direction. He was getting old and the cow was getting rougher,
and now it was entirely impossible for him to control the cow.
Now, Nam-Chun, I see that you came here riding on your own cow,
too. Tell me where the cow is."
Nam-Chun answered, "I am still on its back."
The Great Master said, "How does your cow look?"
Nam-Chun replied, "It is six feet and yellow. It wears hempen
shoes. Its beard is black and white."
The Great Master said, smiling,
"You seem to know about the features of your cow. But is
your cow obedient to you or are you driven by it?"
Nam-Chun said,
"On the whole, the cow is obedient to my orders. I push
the cow when it is too lazy to accomplish something, or, when
the cow is attracted by something unrighteous, I scold the cow
against doing it."
The Great Master said,
"You have already discovered your cow, are acquainted with
the way to tame it and moreover, your cow on the whole is obedient
to your orders. Therefore, try to tame the cow further so that
it may become more obedient to your words in doing many things."
55.
The Great Master said to the assembly at a monastery,
"To train in the intensive regular training session at
a monastery can be compared to taming a cow. One whose behavior
is wayward, simply following after what one sees, hears and
thinks without any moral training, deviating from the right
path of human beings, is like a wayward calf which still sucks
from its mother's breast and runs around as it pleases. One
who leaves home and goes to a monastery to attend the intensive
regular training sessions, and tries to observe all regulations
and precepts yet still suffers from old habits, and improper
and unnecessary thoughts, becomes uncomfortable in study of
the Law and in work and thus causes one's master to worry. Such
a one is like a calf tied to a stake, writhing and crying for
its mother.
While studying the courses everyday, one gradually becomes interested
in the meaning of what one's teacher says, in the meaning of
Facts and Principles, and in eliminating wicked and unnecessary
thought little by little. This one can be compared to a cow
not yet perfectly tamed, but adjusting itself gradually to its
situation. One who never deviates from the right path in expounding
our doctrine and in practicing morality, whose power of Cultivation
of Spiritual Stability and Study of Facts and Principles and
Study of Selection of Right Conduct is maturing, who serves
spiritually, physically and materially for the sake of the public
welfare wherever one happens to be, such a one can be compared
to a well-tamed cow that can do well, everything it is ordered
to do, thus making profit for its master. Thus, the purpose
of a farmer's taming a cow is to use it when ploughing the fields.
My purpose in giving you these intensive courses in the training
of morality is to have you make use of it in your social activities.
Therefore, you disciples, do not waste your time but study hard,
making use of this opp??? iortunity to train so that you may
serve the whole world as a Mind-Cow which is tamed well, and
become apostles who can save sentient beings and cure the world."
56.
The Great Master, at the opening ceremony of a meditation session at a monastery, said to
the assembly,
"To attend an intensive regular training session at a monastery can be compared to a
patient who enters a hospital. A physical disease is treated at a hospital with medicine,
while a spiritual disease is treated at a religious order with moral training. Therefore, as
Buddha is called the King of Doctors, so His doctrine may be called medical materials and
His temple a hospital. People, however, think only of physical disease and try to remedy it
by spending time and money. They do not recognize spiritual disease, and are indifferent to
its treatment. This is what a person of wisdom is concerned about. A physical disease,
however serious the accompanying suffering may be, will remain only during one life, or, in
the case of a slight illness, a short term will be enough to cure it. A disease of the mind,
however, will become a seed of suffering for eternal life if it is left without treatment. Once
infected with such a disease, the person loses freedom of mind, falls into temptation from
the surroundings, and begins speaking, doing and thinking improper things. Such a one will
often wander into the jaws of death, the self-made target of contempt from others, and the
creator of one's own sufferings. One's crime will be followed by another crime and one's
suffering will be followed by more suffering, thus making it impossible to recover oneself.
However, people of unaffected mind can transcend all happiness and suffering, come and go
freely through the whole universe, and can enjoy all blessedness and happiness at their
own will. Therefore, you disciples, do your best to discover your spiritual disease and its
treatment."
57.
He continued talking,
"In order to find out the spiritual disease and treat it, those practicing the Law, first of all,
must know how to do it. First, like a patient who would tell the symptoms to a doctor, the
spiritual patient should honestly confess the symptoms to the teacher. Secondly, like the
patient who should fully comply with the instructions of the doctor, the spiritual patient
should fully comply with the teachings of the teacher. Thirdly, as the patient who is
physically ill should faithfully continue the treatment until the disease is completely cured,
the spiritual patient also should sincerely continue the treatment of the spiritual disease.
Thus, by practicing in this way with sincerity, the spiritual patient will eventually be
perfectly cured of the disease. In addition, one will acquire the medical technique to treat
other patients suffering from spiritual diseases. Then, through eternity, one will successfully
accomplish the great task of the salvation of suffering people of the world."
58.
The Great Master said to the assembly at a monastery,
"Our method of practicing the Law is like the tactics which subjugate the chaotic world,
and you are like trainees who are learning the tactics. This chaos means the mind chaos
which is constantly occurring in our mind realm. Our mind realm is originally serene,
peaceful, bright and clear, but the troops of selfish desire make the mind realm dark,
impure, complicated, confused and almost without peace for eternity. Such a life for
unenlightened people is called chaos of the mind. Tactics are the methods by which one
subjugates evil in the mind and the method is our practice of moral training, namely,
Meditation, Wisdom and Precepts, and the way by which we discriminate between the Law
and evil. This method of moral training is the perfect way to subjugate the chaos of the
world. It is regrettable, however, that the people of the world do not regard the chaos of
the mind as chaos. How, then, can they be said to know about both the fundamental and
the incidental in anything. An sorts of conflicts or wars, large or small-sized, between
individuals, homes, societies or nations, originate from the chaos in the minds of human
beings. Therefore, the chaos of the mind is the source of all other chaos and is the largest
one. The method of subjugating the chaos of the mind is the principal Law of all laws and
the greatest tactic. I hope, therefore, that you disciples understand what I mean, and will
practice Meditation, cultivate Wisdom faithfully and make your best effort to observe the
Precepts. By constant practice, eventually you will be able to subjugate all evil in your
mind and you will then be qualified to acquire the Sacred Rank of the Power of Dharma to
Overcome An Evil and, doubtlessly, you will become like a general about to subjugate the
chaos of the suffering world."
59.
The Great Master said,
"We call our human Nature a Mind-Field, because the occurrence of good or evil in our
mind, in which originally no sense of discrimination or attachment abides, is just like the
growing of crops or weeds in a field. Furthermore, the words 'Cultivation of Mind-Field'
originate from the purpose of encouraging people to train their original mind so that they
may be blessed by both wisdom and happiness, as if they were cultivating an abandoned
field to make it into a rich one. Therefore, one who examines one's mind condition
continually, ridding it of evil and fostering only the good, will be blessed with wisdom and
happiness as would a good farmer who weeds the field constantly, carefully grows the
crops and eventually reaps a good harvest. One who is indifferent to good or evil in one's
mind, whose conduct is wayward, will receive only suffering, and wisdom and blessedness
will become harder to acquire. This is like the bad farmer who does not care to get rid of
weeds which harm the crops in the field or who has left the field uncultivated, and cannot
expect a good harvest in the autumn. Therefore, it should not be forgotten that our sins
and suffering are not to be found in any outside place, but depend upon either good or bad
cultivation of the Mind-Field. How could we be indifferent to this teaching?"
60.
He continued speaking,
"From ancient times in religious orders they have said that to find the Mind-Field is
Enlightenment to the Nature, and to cultivate the Mind-Field is both Fostering the Nature
and Utilizing the Nature. All Buddhas and saints regarded mind training as their destined
task, and mind training is the basic element of teaching among all peoples of the world.
Therefore, in our Order we have established the three essentials - the Cultivation of
Spiritual Stability, the Study of Facts and Principles, and the Selection of Right Conduct -
as major courses for cultivating the Mind-Field. And in order to teach people how to
practice them every day, we have given instructions on the method. The course in the
Cultivation of Spiritual Stability is the one that cleans the Mind-Field so that it may be
farmed. The course in the Study of Facts and Principles is the one that gives knowledge of
farming and ability to distinguish crops from weeds. The course in the Selection of Right
Conduct is the one that teaches us how to use knowledge correctly so that the harvest will
be great and will not fail. Nowadays, because of the rise of materialism, people are
becoming more covetous. Nothing but training in cultivation of the Mind-Field will be able
to calm this covetousness, and the world will never have peace without overcoming
covetousness. Therefore, in the coming world, people will naturally seek to cultivate the
Mind-Field, and then they will be looking for a true religion that will have special qualities
to teach people how to cultivate the Mind-Field. People who practice perfect moral training
will be highly respected. You disciples, take this chance to make your determination
stronger, and try to become model farmers greatly successful in cultivating the Mind-Field."
61.
The Great Master said to the assembly at a monastery,
"I have preached so many times in this training session that you may be tired of hearing
my preaching again today. But those who still know little about morality need to hear more
about it until they naturally come to be enlightened to the truths and practice them.
Therefore, ancient saints and sages also made efforts to expound Facts and Principles in
beginning to teach their new members, and then led them gradually to practice their
teachings. Do not become impatient or irritable after one or two terms of meditation study
even if your understanding or conduct is still not satisfactory; neither ridicule such people
nor blame them. Henceforth, you people must never think that the Law is easy because of
my repeated preaching on it, nor become discouraged when you have failed in practicing all
teachings immediately after you have learned them; only try to hear and practice the Law
repeatedly. Eventually you will establish a perfect personality, with knowledge and practice
in harmony."
62.
The Great Master, attending the closing ceremony of a meditation session at a monastery,
spoke to the assembly as follows.
"The closing ceremony which we hold here today is the ceremony of a minor monastery.
But, on the other hand, this closing ceremony may be regarded as an opening ceremony at
a universal monastery for moral practice. If anyone thinks of this ceremony as only a
closing ceremony, they are still unacquainted with the way of practicing the great Law."
63.
Kim Tae-Keo asked,
"In the Three Sacred Dharma Ranks, I do not see any article on the Precepts to be
practiced. Have those of the Sacred Dharma Ranks achieved the study of the Selection of
Right Conduct?"
The Great Master said,
"The Sacred Rank of the Power of Dharma to Overcome All Evil is the first sacred rank to
be attained among the other Ranks. People of these sacred ranks do not have to be bound
by the Law or restrained by the Precepts. Inwardly, however, they must practice Mind
Precepts. First, they should be careful not to fall into a prejudiced way of studying by only
thinking about their own moral practice or easy life. Second, they should be careful not to
forget about their original vow by falling into a life of wealth and pleasure. Third, they
should be careful not to show their supernatural power to ordinary people, which would
hinder these people from studying the righteous Law. Besides these, they should also study
the Cultivation of Spiritual Stability, the Study of Facts and Principles, and the Selection of
Right Conduct. They must accumulate their merits of saving sentient beings by elevating
themselves nearer to Buddhahood and by fostering more compassion."
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