"When we get rid of ignorance and control our hatred with compassion then good luck will come automatically."
"We have a happiness-garden in our mind.
After sowing the seed of good in our minds, plow and take care, then we become be blessed."
Brief History
- He was born in Seo San in Chung Chung nam-do, 1905.
- He became a monk under Tae Oh sunim`s teaching at Bong Sun-sa temple in 1921.
- He studied at Monks` college of Hae In-sa, Kim Oyong-sa and You jum-sa temple.
- He also practiced at Dae Seung-sa, Su dock-sa, Poe hun-sa and You jum-sa.
- He was the abbot of Heung Ryong-sa.
- Now he is a member of the elder committee of the Cho gye Oder.
I became 95 years old by the new year. It seems like just yesterday when I became a monk. But it has been 80 years already. So it is just the same as the verse in Diamond Sutra. "Everything is dream, in vain, like a shadow, morning dew and lightening...
I start a day with sitting and reading sutra everyday at 3 o`clok. Three years ago I split and sprained my ankle so I don`t do morning service but I do practice for 7-8 hours every day. I think that it`s necessary to pray and practice every day. Some one may think "Now I`m very busy so I`ll do it later when I`m not so busy." But when we become old we will become too weak to practice and to pray regularly. So we should do these when we are young.
I`ll tell you a story. Bo zo Jinul was a famous monk in Lee Dynasty. He had a sister. But she used to say. " I have a brother as great as Buddha. He always prays for every body, so there`s no reason for me not to be saved by him." So he had an idea. One day he prepared a nice meal just on time when she visited him. He ate all without any suggestion of invitation to her. She was hungry and angry so much. "Why don`t you ask me to eat together?" "Sister, why are you hungry when I`m full?" " What are you talking? How can I be full when you are eating?" "Then why can you expect that you would be saved when I get enlightenment?" If you want to go to the paradise after you die, then you should practice and pray. No one can go to paradise instead"
After this his sister did her practice and prayed very faithfully. This is an example that shows that there`s no other one exept I who can solve my problem. There`s no other one who conclude our destinies or send us to paradise, instead. Everything comes by the law of cause and effects. So we should do goods to others.
I became a monk when I was 16 years old. When I was 15 years old, once I visited the market place and I was lost on the way back home, then I saw a monk begging. It was first time for me to see a monk and it became a chance to lead me to go to Bong Seon-sa. That time Bong Seon-sa was very big.
There were 7-8 great monks and 40 medium standing monks. Among them was Wol cho Hong sunim. He was one of the greatest monks at that time. I received the Bhikku precept from Tae Oh sunim. I started to learn how to read sutras, how to hit the mock tak and how to do mantra. Precepts for monks in that time were more strict than now. Old monks taught young ones repeatedly many times.
Lots of people asked me how to pray. But we don`t need any special forms or high dimensional thought to pray. Faith is enough. First, faith for Buddha`s endless compassion and power and faith in me with one mind is necessary. Thank for everything. Keep compassion in mind and do compassion without anger nor hatred. And have a great vow and get rid of pride, prejudice and bad from the mind.
Repent is necessary to empty mind. Repenting is getting rid of pride, defilements and hinderance from the mind. Praying with clean mind basically happiness then pray will come true.
When I was adviced by Kodam sunim, I went to Bo mun-sa in Kwang Wha -do to pray.
I prayed for my life and enlightenment. during 21 days. I moved to Hae in-sa and practiced there during 2 years. Compare to any other zen masters I studied sutras much more. Zen is Buddha`s mind and sutras are Buddha`s words. So I think we practiced zen after reading sutras a lot. Zen and sutras are two vehicles which drags a cart. When I was U Jum-sa, Mankong sunim visited there and stayed with us a long time.
Eminent teachers emphasized that the purpose of zen is to attain that our true selves already clean and infinite and that our true selves are already shown. But it is not easy to realize it. When we are practicing there happens a lot of defilements and fancies come inside. But do not care for the fancies , and keep kong an strongly only. Even if a lot of troughs and defilements come but we should concentrate into our kong an. Even if a strong wave and wind come the boat can be go across rough sea correctly by the sailor`s` efforts.
There are some books on my desk From time to time I read. We should read sutras and do zen regularly every day. When our mind change then the world around us can be changed too. If some one distort his face to you, then it means our mind are distorted.
Soon, New year will come. We say good luck in New year. But good luck never comes without effort. When we get rid of ignorance and control our hatred with compassion then good luck will come automatically.
We have a happiness-garden in our mind.
After sowing the seed of good in our minds, plow and take care , then we become be blessed.
These are 8 ways of Buddha`s teaching how to plow our mind to be blessed.
- Make a spring or a well and give water to people when it is dry.
- Construct a bridge and help others to cross the river.
- Make smooth rough roads.
- Respect the old and offer them.
- Respect three treasures of Buddhism and offer them.
- Take care of the sick.
- Help the poor.
- Offer Dharma meeting and let others meet Buddha`s teaching.
But most of all is to attain the truth by ourself.
New year has come. let`s make more virtuous things.