DD%

r985VOLUME ry NUMBER II

IRI, KOREA

820

WON BUDDHISTT,I

Published by:Research lnstitute for

Overseas Missions

Won Kwang UnivercitY

lri City, Cholla Pukdo, Korea

t2t

CONTENTS

Irditorial ......1.

Won Buddhist View on EqualitybyDr.PalKhn,Chon .....3

Moving and Being Quiet are of One Suchness

byDr.Kidoo,Han .... ...g

A View on Social Enliehtenment of Won Buddhism

by Prof. KydngjOn, Suh . . .. rl

A View on Tao in Won Buddhism

by Prof.Hyunsoo,Yang ..,....14

Dharma Words on Happiness and SufferingbyP.K.C. ..18

NewsCorner. ..zl

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IYON B UDDHISM I

VOL. N NO.2 VON BUDDHISM t q85

EDITORIAL

The Third General Assembly, ACRP in Seoul

.The forthcoming event of the ACRP (Asian Conference on Religionand Peace) will be held in Seoul from the l6th to the 2lst of June1986. 1986 has been especially named as the International Year ofPeace by the Uirited Nations in one of its full sessions during 1985.

Won Buddhism will participate actively in the ACRP in Seoul as anexecutive member. What is Won Buddhism? It is a religion foundedby the Ven. Sotaesan Park Chung-bin, who in the early part of the20th century, .proclaimed that its teachings are univirsil and inagreement with all other religions. Ven. Sotaesan professes that theessence of truth is the same in all religions, and he advocates that allkinds of prejudice which is prevalent among men, should be elimi-nated, he also calls for world peace and the oneness of mankind.

Peace, the long awaited dream and a cherished desire in everyhuman heart, is a desperate wish that man has for so long been seekingto fulfill. Regretfully, under the slogan "war for peace" man hasallowed himself to be trapped in the pitfalls of power struggles, com-mitting enormous expenditures for the ever increasing arsenals ofsophisticated weapons and the development of destructive systemswhich are labelled as necessary for maintaining the "balance of power."

The participants (delegates and observers) in'the ACRP will comefrom about 20 countries representing many religions. The main themeof the ACRP will be 'Bridges of Peace in Asia." There will be threecommissions to discuss simultaneously three subjects: (l) The promo-tion of Human Dignity and Humanization, (2) Uberation fromPoverty and (3) The Consummation of Non- Violence. There will alsobe five study groups consisting of (l ) Renewal and Co-existence bet-ween the Followers of the Various Religions, (2) Education for Peace,(3) The Contribution of Asian Religions to a Global village, (4) TheRole of Youth in Rural Reconstruction and (5) The Role of Women inSocial Development.

. The very exercise of inter-faith co-operation, such as the ACRp,is no doubt providing a concrete contribution to make a world more

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2 WON B U DDHISM

harmonious through understanding. But, compared with the number ofpolitical organizations, the number of inter-faith organizations are very

ir*. The main reason is the difficulty of financing such inter-faith

activity. But the problem could well be solved by men's earnest desire

to attain such a goal.The

"onr.pl of peace, which is equal to the desire for human

dignity, is one of the topics to be dealt with during the ACRP meeting.gi uU'possible *.unr, the basic rights of people should be guaranteed.

Tiris yi", the sufferings caused by various disasters, such as terrorism,

airliner hijacking, ."rtlhquakes, and the deadly volcanic eruption 1as

brought much ,r'ittty to the countries of Chile, Mexico, and Columbia'

At this time, we are moved by the misfortunes of the men and women

involved than at anY other time.The attainmeni of human dignity, however, can not be accompli-

shed just by international meetings, aids in kind and cash, and loud

slogans. The respect of human tightt should spring from our minds'

ThI survival of the human race depends upon how many men can be

human, instead of being inhuman, UV keeping their human dignity'

The primary condition for human Oignity is to practice Buddha's

admonition that "serves everyone just like the offering of a Buddhist

mass".I hope that the ACRP meeting will not end in just an empty name'

The repiesentatives participating in the meeting should find congruity

with one another, oplning i co**o, ground for mutual understanding'

I believe conflicts invariably come from misunderstandings'

The Great Master said, "Although many patriarchs of ch'an

Sects have expounded various ways and means to ch'an, the main

idea lies in citming delusions and in fostering the true Nature ofmind, so that Voii and Abstruse Wisdom may appear.

. There-

fore, we take the following as the principle of meditation: 'A

,ontinrously and fully .*aktned state of mind in tranquility is

right, whereas a ,.nr.l.ss state of no-consciousness in tranquility

is-wiong; and the tranquility in the awakened state of mind is

right, *f,1, delusions inlhe awakened state of mind are wrong""

From "On Moral Practice" in the Canonicallextbook of Won Buddhism

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WON B UDDHISM 3

Utlon Buddhist View on Equality

by Dr. Pal Khn Chon

The aim of my study is to examine various aspects of equalityin the Won Buddhist Canonical Textbook. According to the Textbook,thoughts on equality can be roughly divided into two concepts.

First, although we are able to make distinctions and discriminationsin the visible world on the basis of oneself and others, sex, that ofsaints and ordinary persons, beauty and ugliness, wisdom and foolish:ness, there are no differences in the ultimate reality or in our originalminds. The section relating to the Truth of ll-Won-Sang, in the Text-book, says that Il-Won is the origin of all beings in the universe, themind-seal of all Buddhas and saints, rhe original Nature of all livingcreatures, the state in which there is no difference. As may well beunderstood by the above sayings, the real nature of all creatures, whichincludes human beings, coming from one source, the One Truth.

In Nirvana SUtra, there is also a saying that every sentient beingshas the Buddha Nature: These words have something in commonwith the ll-Won-Sang Truth, and makes it possible to respect humanrights in our various societies. The Great Master said that in the comingdays the power of human beings will be more valued than that of thepower of Heaven, and that the gr.eat power of Buddhas and Bodisattvaswill be rendered to all people.

Second, the Great Master suggested the Four Essentials as themeans to obtain an equal sogiety, and to get rid of undue discrimi-nation. What are the Four Essentials? What is the society, which willpractice the Four Essentials, like? The following four articles suggests

some of the answers.

( I ) Self-AbilityWithout self-ability, it would be impossible to lead humane

lives. The Great Master said, "Unless one is an infant, senile, or ill,one must cultivate self-ability so that one can perform one's unavoid-able duty and obligation, and, as far as one can, take care of those whodo not have self-ability." His teachings could be summaized by theactivity principle: Unless absolutely compelled (for example, children,the old, illness, psychopath, and so on), we should cultivate self-abilityon'a study basis. The phrase "on a study basis" takes on a new and

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important meaning. Just like studying unknown things consecutively,the same is true for Self-Ability in that we cultivate it case by case.The word is well represented by the perception and practice of Self-Ability.

(2) The Wise Man First

The whole of mankind should be intelligent enough to be ableto construct a paradise on this earth village, irrespective of theif status,sex, age, and the likes of those who practice discrimination, Withoutknowledge, we are unable to correct absurdities and defend our basiirights. The Prihciple of the lVise Man First in the Textbook says,"as it is natural for the .wise man to teach the fool and for the fqolto learn from the wise men, assuming that in any situation one wantsto learn, one 'ought not to get attached to unreasonable systems ofdiscrimination, but should fulfil only what one is aiming at." TheGreat Master often said that one's character is established mostlythrough learning.

To practice "The Wise Man First", above all else, the Textbooksays that all the articles relating to the unreasonable system of discri-mination from thi past should be abolished-discrimination betweenthe nobility and peasantry, men and women, races and nationalities,and so on.

Then what types of teachers are we to learn from? According tothe section of Articles of the Wise Man First, five types of teachersare introduced. The first, if one finds a person whosi way of usinghis original Nature and .his moral conduct is superior to one's own,then one ought to recognize that he is one's teacher. The second,if one finds a person whose ability to handle political or administrativeaffairs is superior to one's own, then one ought to know that he isone's own teacher. The third, if one finds a person whose knowledgeof living is superior to one's own, then one ought to know that he isone's own teacher. The fourth, if one finds a person whose ledrningand technique is superior to one's own, then one ought to know that heis one's own teacher. The fifth, if one finds a person whose commonsense is superior to one's own, one ought to know that he is one'sown teacher.

In the past we had a closed society based on status, so thatpersons of high status did not learn anything from a person of a lowsocial standing. The attitude prevailing in past societies was detrimen-tal to the development of our educational systems. In Won Buddhism,

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WON B UDDHISM 5

anyone superior, in any sphere, is regarded as my teacher. One does

not have to regard all superior people as one's teachers at all times,but only those when one needs to learn something from them. Ven.Chongsan said, "Between intelligence and foolishness there is basicallyno difference, but the intelligent has the obligation to lead the foolish."

And he went on to say, "as we strive to change those who donot want to learn and teach into those who learn and teach willingly,our society would no doubt get full of knowledge and wisdom."What should be stressed here is the giving of equal opportunity foracquiring knowledge.

(3) The Education of the Children of Others

If the educational system is limited, or if the concept ofeducation does not transcend the boundarys of oneself and others,then world civilization will be retarded. In order for all brethren tobe endowed with a blessed life, it is a public duty to educate all youn-ger generations, by expanding all educational organizations and aboli-shing the boundarys between oneself and others. long ago westernsocieties fully developed their educational systems, but in Asian coun-tries, excluding Japan, they were negative to an open education. Ofcourse, today we seldom see a lack of education even in Asian coun-tries. The facts of past education systems are as follows: Governmentand society did not make a positive effort' or offer .inducements foreducation; the educational system was so ristricted that neitherfemale nor the lower classes could ever think of being educated; therewere few educated people who applied their learning for the benefitof the public; because of the lack of organized public opinion andcommunication, opinions on education were rarely exchanged;the ideaof education did not transcend the boundarys of oneself and others,so men of property, if they had no children, tried vainly only to have

children and missed the opportunities to educate people, while poormen, though they were eager to educate their children, were unableto do so, owing to their financial problems, so they also missed theopportunity to educate people.

The textbook suggests three articles of the education of other'schildren. The first, at this time when the defects in our educationalsystem are being removed, one must help educational organizationseducate children whether or not one is childless; or if possible, one isto educate as many children of others as possible, with the idea thatthey. are one's own children. The second, a nation or society must

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6 WON B UDDHISM

establish a wide variety of educational organizations as as to be able toeducate with a positive effort. The third, in religious orders, societies,nations, and in the world, the ones who practice the articles of theeducation of other people's children will be honored and respectedin accordance with their meritorious deeds.

(4) Respect for Those Dedicated to the Public Welfare

To construct paradise, there should be many people devotingthemselves to their societies in every field of endeavor. According tothe Principles of Respect for Those Dedicated to Public Welfare foundin the Textbook, it states that if the lvorld respects those who dedicatethemselves to public welfare, then there will be many who will dedicatethemselves to the welfare of .the world; if a nation respects thosewho dedicate themselves to public welfare, then there will be manywho will dedicate themselves to the welfare of the nation; and if a

society of a religious order respects those who dedicate themselves tothe welfare of the society or the religious order, there will be manywho will dedicate themselves to the welfare of that society or thatreligious order. The public must, therefore, respect those who, inaccordance with their meritorious deeds, contribute in various waysto the.world, a nation, a society, or a religious order, just as childrenrespect their parents.

Our societies will be brightened to the extent that if manydedicators appear, they will be duly rewarded by the people. Ofcourse, we should not serve the public with the intention of beingcompensated, but those who share in such benefits should expresstheir thanks by bringing those dedicators to lights. .In the Textbook,the Articles of Respect for Those Dedicated to Public Welfare says,"We must distinguish between the work for family and public welfare;and if both are worthwhile, we must put priority on the work forpublic welfare by transcending the sense of boundary between ourselvesand others. Those who dedicate themselves to public welfare are tobe supported in old z9a, owing to the degrees of their meritoriousdeeds; and after their death the public must take on the responsibilityfor an honorable funeral. Their pictures and histories must be recordedand commemorated forever. "

Ven. ChOngsan said, "In the future, those who are truthful andwork for the public good will become the noblest men in the world ....those who indulge in selfishness and restrict themselves to their familyunit will find it difficult to make their way in life. Only public-minded

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men will be welcomed everywhere." Respecting for dedicators makesit possible for other people to take over their public works, resultingin the accomplishment of life quality.

To summarize, we can achieve an equal society with humanrights, knowledge, education, and lifestyle - through thl practicing ofthe Four Essentials. The Won Buddhist view on equality can also beregarded as a concept for world peace.

The Great Master said to an assembly at a Regula r DharmaMeeting, "when someone is giving you a i..*o, or a lecture, youshould be as attentive to it as if you were receiving a preciousjewel. Even though a master of the Law or a preacher miy speakvgry useful words,. these words will be of very little practical useif the listeners are inattentive, insincere in their listening, orunable to understand the essential points. Therefore, listen toany serrnon or lecture with full attention, and try to considerit as an important point that must be questioned as a practicalexercise in personal training. Then you will gain mrch fromthe presentation and, at the same time, the words will improveyour personal conduct and increase the merit of our RegularDharma Meeting. "

From "On Moral Practice" in the CanonicalTextbook of Won Buddhism

830

8 WON B UDDHISM

Moving and Being Ouiet are of One Suchness

by Dr. Kidoo, Han

The acting style of humans can be divided into two - being quiet

and moving. -ln our daily lives, there are no alternatives to the state

or.u.irre qrri.t Jate (staying sittlng, lying) and the moving state (walk-

ing, running, working, and-to on). -But

moving is the first state that

hriman beings shoulJ'be actively engaged in, due to their vocations as

social members. In other *o.dr, splclal importance is attached to the

moving time. But, no matter how important it may be that we should

Jr*orr"rtrate our utilty to lead good iiu.r in the present industrialised

societies, losing the most precious time of "stillness" can appropriately

be compared to. machinery or a lamp without oil. If the case was just

the same as mentioned u6or., they would not ultimately put it into

use.Before we go into details, I had better establish the concept of

..being quiet" 5r "stillness" (Of course, in its real meaning it can't

be just a mere coircept.) Superficially "!-.irg quiet" is -the counter-

cOnCept Of "mgvirrg'i But ibeing quiet" and "moving" are Closely

related to each other. Let us take a typhoon as an example' Stillness

is almost like the center of a typhoon, or hurricane, from th'e aspect

of its absolute stillness, or absoiule calmness, and its abolute immobiliiy. Dynamic -or"*.nt, by paradox, is effected by firstly^effeciifestillness. Only a perfectty siiti and tranquil man can burst forth into

clarified, rightiul, and constructive dynamic action.But here a problem occurs. If we emphasize only one extreme-

stillness, then the harmony of our.society will break. ven. sotaesan,

the founder of Won Buddhism, pointed out the problem by. saying that;;ii.iGi;;, ord.., in the past'ernphasized the practice onlv of Beins

Quiet because they thought that mundane work and moral practice

were incompatible. Consequently, some renounced their families'

spending their entire lives in remote mountains, or some' seeking

un., truth, were absorbed in reading the scriptures to such an extent

it ut they did not even notice when the rain swept away the grain

drying in the ;;il Ho* could this be.an integrated wly of studv?"

The mont<i in the past enjoyed the "state of being]' for its own

sake, seeking calm peace tu.h as mountains, and monasteries, thus

escaping from the world. Ultimately many people have mistakenly

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WON B UDDHISM 9

concluded that an aestic life in mountains is the whole Buddhism.Itut we must identify the real Being Quiet from the "dead being".In the past, men who lived mundane lives were not regarded as menof moral training. As a result, evil habits, such as empty living withoutjobs, prevailed among the men of moral training which cast evil in-fluences upon many individuals, families, societies and even uponnations.

However, today people cannot pfford to enjoy "stillness". Thestructure of modern societies doen't permit such a idle way of living.Ijrom dawn to ,dusk, most of the modern men and women have towork hard to earn their living. Gradually we can only find "stillness"only in condominiums at luxurious resorts, on golf courses, in deluxeyachts, and so on. So people today absolutely need quiet time torecover their sound intelligence and original state of mind.

Won Buddhism recommends the concrete ways to integrate ourdisintegrated personalities at any time or place so as to be suitablefor modern men. The suggestions are explained under the followingtitle: The Most .Effective Ways to Attain the Power of CultivatingSpiritual Stability through I\{oving and Being Quiet are; First, as youconduct yourself, do not commit yourself to such things that willdisturb your mind or rob you of it. Stay away from such tryingsituations. Secondly, in all situations, do not get attached to onething nor be covetous of it, but train your mind to be indifferent.Thirdly, while you are doing one thing do not be tempted to do any-thing else, so that yoq may concentrate on the one thing you are

involved in. Fourthly, be mindful to practice either Calling the Name

of Buddha or Sitting-Type Meditation whenever leisure time is available.The most Effective Way to Gain Power from the Study of the

Facts and Principles of Moving and Being Quiet are: First, as youmanage your various human affairs, strive to become acquaintedwith everything. Secondly, seek to exchange opinions with yourteacher or with your Dharma friends. Thirdly, strive to follow theorder of study in solving any problem which confronts you while yousee, hear, or think. Fourthly, make an effort to practice your Scrip-

tures. Fifthly, after you finish practicing your scriptures, broadenyour knowledge and outlook by referring to the scriptures of thepast moralists and those of other religions.

The Most Effective Way of Attaining the Power of Selection ofRight Conduct through Moving and Being Quiet are: First, if thething you are engaged in is righteous, no matter whether it is of signifi-

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IO WON B UDDHISM

cance or trivial, carry it out even at the cost of your life. Secondly,if it is unrighteous, no matter whether it is of significance or trivial,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 whenyou can not put it into practice, but continue it with a sincere effort.

In terms of the training of Won Buddhism, "being quiet" and

"moving" are related to Regular and Constant Training with regard

to the relationship between Regular Training and Constant Training.Regular Training, the main subjects of which are the Cultivation ofSpiritual Stability and the Study of Facts and Principles, is the trainingin Being Quiet while not working, and is the method to prepare the

materials for Constant Training. Constant Training, the main subject

being the Selection of the Rieht Conduct, is the Training in Moving,

and is the training method to prepare the materials for the trainingat Being Quiet while not working. These two ways of training are

compa.tible and become a basis for each other, so that both devoted

and 1ay followers will not leave their training even for a minute. On

the baiis of these trainings including both "being quiet" and "moving",Moving and Being Quiet are of one suchness-

To one of his disciple's questions about the principle ofthe Rising of Watery Energy and the Falling of Flaming Energy inthe human body,.the Great Master replied, "By its original nature,water is cool and clear and flows down, while fire by its natureis hot and turbid and burns upward. When you are absorbedin troublesome throught, your head feels heavier and your spiritimpure, with the sap of life being dried up. This is because theFlaming Energy rises and the Watery Energy falls. If the trouble-some 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."

From "On Moral Practice" in the CanonicalTextbook of Won Buddhism

833

T,YON BUDDHISM II

A View on the Social Enlightenment of Won Buddhism

by Prof. KyOngjOn, Suh

1. The reason why Won Buddhist Temples are interested in theindustrial societies

Most of modern people are living in the midst of a highly developedcivilized world. The rapid growth of this civllization has, of course,

llrovided us with many benefits. On the other hand, we now see

signs of chaos all about us. We intentionally discarded our traditionsand customs in order to receive the material benefits of civilization.

The same fate befalls religions. The urbanization and breakdownof traditional religions are well representative of our modern societies.So today, drastic changes of thoughts take place everywhere. Urbaniza-tion, or the increasing of the population of cities, is largely due tothe migration of the agricultural population, who are seeking new-perhaps better-jobs in the cities, even though the city populationitself is growing. A new mode of living, more commonly calledurbanism, may be considered as a by-product, which has evolved fromtraditional patterns, of a process whereby rural migrants readjust toan urban environment.

At this point in time, the mission of religions has also diversified.Religions aiming only at the salvation of individuals have no meaninganymore in the context of modern societies. That's because individualshave closely merged with the society where they live. With on-goingurbanization, this relationship has been more acutely emphasizedthan at any other time in the past. We should find a role for religionin an urban context.

2. Ven. Sotaesan's Social Consciousness

The founding message given by the Ven. Sotaesan (70 years ago)went as follows: According to the development of a scientific civiliza-tion, the human spirit, which makes use of material things, growsweaker, while material things themselves, which should exist onlyfor human use, increasingly flourish and assert their domination overthe enfeebled human spirit. Thus, human beings find themselveschained to the servitude of materialism. How, then, can they expect

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In Won Buddhism, a perfect world can be constructed on thebasis of the integration of the spiritual and physical lives. Ven.Sotaesan compared a society ignorant of its importance to a carelesschild playing a sharp-edged tool, both being exposed to the constantthreat of danger. In other words, a world which emphasizes onlymaterialism may be likened to a cripple whose body is healthy, butwho's spirit is ailing. And a world where emphasis is only placed on aspiritual civilization may be compared to a cripple whose spiritualcondition is perfect but who has an ailing body. So how can a one-sided world be called perfect? Ven. Sotaesan, therefore, concludesthat when the .development of an inward spiritual civilization cankeep pace with the development of the outward material civilization,perfect peace. and tranquility will be brought forth in this world.The reason why Won Buddhist temples are interested in the moderncivilized society is to establish harmony between spirit and thematerial-of course, they are not two in essence.

4. Enlightenment of the Masses

In any society, the phenomenon of division of people into socialstratas invariably emerges as an institutionalized order of social in-equality when its population has grown to a certain size, when it has

undergone some differentiation, and when it has a minimum surplusin production. In other words, the phenomenon' of division intosocial stratas is ubiquitous in all societies if they have attained a certainstage of development.

The degree of inequality among individuals or social categoriesvaries as much as soiieties are different from each other. The generaltrend, however, in modern societies is that they try to reduce thedegree of inequality among social 'stratas or individuals as much as

possible.Professor Wansang Han divided the social structures into thb ruling

classes and ruled ones. The criterial of the division is whether onehas political power, productive rneans, and credit. He also classifiedthe people into the enlightened and the ignorant. Traditionally themasses have been well trained by and grown accustomed to the dis-crimination between the higher and lower classes, so they considerit as a natural phenomenon. But the hero of history is not a specificone. Today the people must play a leading role in the society. Areligion should transform ignorant people into enlightened ones. The

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WON B UDDHISM I3

history of mankind should not be recognized as being operated onlyby the ruling classes. The masses are the heroes of today. The masses

are the foundation of the activities of religious enlightenment.

Kim Tae- keo asked, "In the Three Sacred Dharma Ranks,I do not see any article on the Precepts to be practiced. Have

the men of the Sacred Dharma Ranks achieved the study of theSelection of Right Conduct?" The Great Master said, "TheSacred Rank of the Dharmd Power to Overcome All Evil is thefirst sacred rank to be attained among the other Ranks. Peopleof these sacred ranks do not have to be bound by'the Law norbe restrained by the Precepts. Inwardly, however, they mustpractice Mind Precepts. First, they should be careful not to fallinto a prejudiced way of studying by only thinking about theirown moral practice or easy life. Second, they should be carefulnot to forget about their original vow by falling into a life ofwealth and pleasure. Third, they should be careful not to showtheir supernatural power to ordinary people, which would hinderthese 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 RightConduct. They must accumulate their merit of saving sentientbeings by elevating themselves nearer to Buddhahood and byfostering more compassion. "

From "On Moral Practice" in the CanonicalTextbook of Won Buddhism

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I4 WON B UDDHISM

A View on Tao in Won Buddhism

by Prof. HYunsoo, Yang

What is tao and te? The word tao-te has two characters' i'e''.tao, (fE) and.te, (rH). The character'tao'alone stands for "way,".;;utn,;;i'morality"; and the character 'te' alone stands for "virtue,"..io*ar," o, "aiii.u"y." When 'tao' means morality,."morality" is

taken in the narrow sense as to designate moral principles. To say

;il; "rJioo

is immoral amounts to saying that it does not follow

the way (tao).ven. Sotaesan of won Buddhism gave an explanation of tao and

te in their literal sense. According to him, the Chinese characters

of tao and te mean "way" and "virtue" respectively. Before going

into detail, it is necessary to know the then situation in which he

lectured his disciples on tao and te. At that time, there were many

;;i;ln K;a who lived on mountains, and they were proud of the

Oo.irir. of their own religions, constantly mentioning tao and te'

However, many people still fail to catch the clear meaning of them'

According to hi*, tao is known as the waY, path, or road. The way

also means to conduct oneself in the right way. ..... As regards te,

it will be called te when conduct blesses other people no matter where

or when this occurs.It is not.*ortt y that "tao-te" is the title of the Taoist canon

Tao Te Ching ( E X* f;q ) and that Taoism alone is known by that

name. The tea.iring of Lao Tzu ( '2. +' ) and Chuang Tzu ( # + )

about tao were imp-ressive and influential. In Taoism, we find the

word ,,tao,, being given a metaphysical meaning. we may cite the

following passage from the Tao Te Ching

There is a thing, formless yet complete. . Before Heaven and Earth it

existed, *itttt-ui"*-4, *iUtoot subslance, it stands alone without chang-

irll' lt'i, .u;;;di"i'qg unfaiting.. one may think of it as the mother

of all beneath Heaven. We do noi k ,o* its name, but we term it Tao'

Forced to give an appellation to it, I should say it was great.

ven Sotaesan's literal explanation doesn't coincide with Taoism

but with confucianism by emphasizing social morality. In Sotaesan's

view, Il-won-Sang Truth (one-circle Truth' - tr tE E B ) is more

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WON B UDDHISM I5

a life free from suffering and trouble?In the Section related to the Disease of Society and its Treatment,

Ven. Sotaesan indicated many of the social diseases. For example,people are not conscious of their own faults, but prefer to revealthe faults of others. People rely unduly upon others. They are notwilling to follow the right leader as they are supposed to do. Leadersare often indifferent to the education of their people by way of theright instructions.

As is understood by the words above, Won Buddhism forsawthe societies of the future as being slaves to rampant material power.Ven. Sotaesan emphasized the faith in a religion based on Truthand actual morfi training as a remedy to men's servitude. He proposedthe prabtice of the Four Essentials (The Cultivation of Self-Ability,The Wise Man First, The Education of the Children of Others, Respectfor those Dedicated to the Public Welfare). As a cure for the ills ofsociety, the Four Essentials shows the Ven. Sotaesan's social conscious-ness.

3. Combined Salvation of lndividuals and Societies

As Won Buddhist temples are deeply concerned with the presen

state of societies, they dedicate themselves to the public welfare.The founding motto of Won Buddhism should be well practiced.

From olden times, a matter of primary concern of the older, established

religions 'was the individual's spiritual peace and redemption. Buttoday, modern society has come to the most important turning pointin its history. Society is newly developing into the industrial age,

so an individual keenly feels now more than at any other time thenecessity of takin g pafi in the society. The Absolute's domain inancient times has been substituted by modern science. A large part

of the roles played by religions has given way to scientific development.What is the role of religion? No matter how neglectful modern

religious people may be, I believe the religious roles of modificationand supplementation are still important. The society in which a person

lives can't be complete. Far from being complete, the society is alwaysproduces many new unsolved problems.' Here the need of a religionb..orn.t important. The founding slogan of Won Buddhism correctlypoints out this problem: As material civilization develops, one must

Lultivate a spiritual civilization accordingly. Modern religions should

emerge as a third prophet to stress the historical rule of justice.

E3E

16 WON B UDDHISM

similar to the traditional view on tao-te of Taoism. How is Il-Won-Sang Truth similar to Lao-Tzu's Tao? Ven Sotaesan summs up thethree religions quite clearly:

In Buddhism, through the principle of the formlessness of all thingsin the universe, emphasis is put on the Truth of No Birth and No Deathand the Principle of Cause and Effect in explaining how to become en-lightened from a state of delusion. In Confucianism, the stress is onbeings in the universe having form, thereby essentially explaining theway of Self-Dscipline. In Taoism, on the basis of the natural law ofthe universe, they explain the original state of purity, serenity, and un-artificiality, teaching us how to foster one's own Nature.

Ven Sotaesan incorporated the essentials of the three religions intoIl-Won-Sang. Il-Won is the origin of all things in the universe andyet it is devoid of any verbally describable characteristics. When taois possessed by 'an individual thing, it becomes its character or virtue(te). On Ven. Sotaesan's view, this world is simply the manifestationof Il-Won. Thus, te of "tao-te" corresponds to Sang of "Il-Won-Sang."In fact, Sotaesan said that "Il-Won" and "Tao" are two differentnames of one and the same reality.

In Tao Te Ching, we find the following important words.From Tao arises One; from One Arises Two; from Two arises Three;and from Three arises the ten thousand things.

The above words are basic thoughts of the Taoist universal view.The two in the passage are yin ( H) and yang (W). Early Taoismpresupposes the yin-yang principle, but it seems, in the main, to haverejected another view which went along with it, the theory of thefive elements or energies (wu hsing ji. '{t ). The five elements orenergies are well explained by the theories of "mutually arising"(hsiang sheng tH H ) and "mutually conquest" (hsiang sheng tE ffi ).Won Buddhism also complies with this theory.

The five energies were identified, or better, symbolized, as ( I )wood, which as fuel gives rise to (2) fire, which creates ash and givesrise to (3) earth, which in its mines contains (4) metal, which (as onthe surface of a metal mirror) attracts dew and so gives rise to (5)water, this in turn nourishes ( I ) wood. This is called the hsiangsheng, or the "mutually arising" order of the forces.

The forces were also arranged in the order of "mutually conquest"

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,I/ON B UDDHISM I7

(hsiang sheng iE ffi ) in which ( I ) wood. in the form of a plow,overcomes (2) earth which, by damming and constraint, conquers(3) water which, by quenching, overcomes (4) fire which, by melting,liquidizes (5) metal which, in turn, cuts ( I ) wood.

In the yin-yang and wu hsing ( *;,.'6 ) theories the Taoist organicview of the world is implicit, but it becomes explicit in Lao-Tzu, andfar more so in Chuang-tzu, though one does not find it stressed inConfucian thought (absorbed as that was with political and socialmatters) until the Neo-Confucianism of Chu Hsi (l 13l to 1200 AD).

In Won Buddhism, the theories of yin-yang and "mutually arising"and "mutually conquest" are a little differently used. Let me introducethe following passages from the section of The Words of Penitencefrom the Canon. It says: "According to the principle of the changingforces of yin-yang in the universe, good conduct will doubtlesslybe rewarded with mutual arising while evil conduct will be punishedby mutual conquest. However, those who lead a life of perpetualpenitence will be able to free themselves from the power of karmaof mutual arising and mutual conquest and many control their ownsin and blessedness." In other word, Won Buddhism embraces theabove three main theories of traditional Taoism on the basis of humanaffairs-reward, punishment, and penitence. In Taoism, tao is in-different to human affairs but not to the center of reward and punish-rnent. From this point of view, we can find that Ven. Sotaesan relatedthe metaphical views of Taoism to that of human relations.

The interpretation of tao in Won Buddhism, is well known bythe above writings, which is more similar to Confucianism. The basiccontents of Taoism about Tao have much in common with that of theIl-Won-Sang Truth of Won Buddhism. However, in the sections ofIl-Won-Sang, we can also pinpoint the passage which is characteristicof Confucianism. According to these sections for example, Il-Wonunfolds the boundless world that is occasionally favored by harm,or harmed by favor.

The term "favor" and "harm" are not used to describe the universalorganism as in Taoism. The Taoist foundation of morality lies intaking action in accordance with the way of Nature; and the way ofNature is simple, spontaneous, and tranquil. In Conclusion, comparedwith 'Iaoism, Won Buddhism adds a lot of Confucian characters, whileoften borrowing the Taoist terminologies.

810

I8 WON B UDDHISM

Dharma Words on Happiness and Suffering

by P. K. C.

Generally speaking, there are two conditions which people either

like or dislike:^ one i-s happiness and the other is suffering. People

can suffer either by accidint or from their own actions' they can

also experien.. ftuppiness which is derived either by accident or by

their own doing. 'Ii is without exception that people prefer to ex-

perience happiness rather than sufferi!g'It may rounJ contradictory to suy that a man who is completely

fortunate throughout his life is a complete failure' For he will miss

the most prr.iJ,.r, part of his life in which he comes to learn the

meaning of life by being schooled in misfortune' Those who have

not eaten their brlad eained in misery do not know the true blessing

of the bread they daily eat. Almost alt of the great men in history

surrnounted their ill fortune by making the best of it' Indeed' mis-

;;;;; l; a ereat teacher from which we can learn the true meaning

of life.One interesting story gives us a great lesson on how to get over

misfortunes. The-Great Master, ,pon seeing a skinny_ swine in a pig

pefl, asked a disciple for an explanation. He said the swines were

fed on barley which had gone a little bad during the long rains' they

had grown fat. But since feeding them on bran, they could not readjust

to the bran,' so losing their a[petite, thgy lost weight' The Great

Master, upon hearing the full tfoiy, said, "This is the very living s-utra'

The suffering of a rich man who has suddenly lost all his possessions,

or the suffering of a man who has suddenly been deprived of all

his power is the same as the suffering of these swine' Therefore'

from ancient times, sages and saints huut never had the desire for

wealth and fame as other human beings have, nor have they re-

joiced at the-;aining of wealth and fame, nor have they worried about

losing them. The Ernp.roi Shun, in ancient times, once as a lowly

laborer farmed and made pottery, but when he came to the^ th.rone

he was n.r.r-urrogunt no, did he -abused

his power' Gautama Buddha'

seeking escape, laid down his crown and leaped over.the wall of his

royal house in order to be enlightened to. the Trutl, never felt in

any way attached to the thronJ he had given up. These examples

illustrate the virtues of these men who were indifferent toward wealth

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WON B UDDHISM I9

and fame, and shows the unyielding power which transcends happiness

and suffering. Therefore, if you are going to learn the Truth from the

teachings ol saints and sages, do not allow yourself to be tempted by

temporary comfort, pleasure, or power; but rather, be cautious toreceive them. If you should accept them, be careful not to become

attached to, not be degraded by them. Then yod will receive real

everlasting comfort, fame, and power."One Auy of life is a miniature of life itself which is a series of

small difficulties. Each day starts with the first difficult thing todo: getting up early and taking a little exercise. Overcoming the

first difiiculty helps to make the subsequent difticulties more pleasing

and easier to deal with. Surmounting them demands will power and

habitual practice, which are strengthened by exercise. Training and

apprenticeship have cumulative effects to make difficult things more

riiy. In this waY, a great master in his field is made. Before one

becomes a master in his field, one is expected to be a master of lifeby making the best of any adversity with which one may be faced.

Life is said to be worth living if fortune is interwoven or combined

with misfortune.According to the principle of the rotation of the four seasons

in the universe, all beings pass through birth, illness, old age and death.

According to the principle of the alternation of Negative and Positive

Forces in the Universe, Yin and Yang, human beings are rewarded

for their deeds, either good or bad, according to the Principle of Cause

and Effect. Though winter is the time when the Negative Force appears

to be greater, a Positive Force is still contained with in it; and as

the forie gradually gains strength, spring and summer come. And,though summer is the time when itre Poiitive Force appears to be

greater, the Negative Forces are contained within it, and as the forcegradually gains strength, autumn and winter ensue.-

Having had a good time (Yang) in the past may well have been

regarded as a kind of debt to be paid off in the future whereas having

had a hard time (Yin) in the past could well have been considered

as a sort of saving to be used in the future. That what is to be endured

may as well be soon endured is well expressed in the Korean Proverb

thai to be whipped earlier is better than to be whipped later even as

punishment. In fact, life is not so much as what is to be enjoyed oru A.Ugt t but as what is to be endured or suffered. The sooner endured,

the sooner relieved. We are often advised not to postpone untiltomorrow what we can do today. This advice can be rephrased as

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20 WON B UDDHISM

follows: we should not postpone until tomorrow what we can enduretoday. A neglected pus never turns into fresh blood. It must bequickly squeezed out. otherwise, the infection will spread. Theproverb that while there is life, there is hope implies that life is aseries of difficulties to be overcome or ,olved.

Yet very few people try to think rtrou,.t the causes of their sufferingor happiness. Most people pay little al tention to how present sufferingcan become either permanent suffering or future happiness, or howprtisent happiness can remain as permanent happiness or change intosuffering. However, we should be able to distinguish correctly betweensuffering which. is righteous or u/lrighteous so that we can have therighteous form of happiness fronr suffering throughout our lives. Inorder to keep away from the unrigtrteous forms of suffering or pleasure,we must be careful of our conduct and use good judgement while weare going or resting, sitting or llring, talking or being silent, movingabout or remaining still.

The Great Master said, "Thert: rre two ways to gain the powerof Cultivation: one is the cultivat.ton of character, and the otherthat of Mind-Nature. For instance, a soldier's stable mind onthe actual battlefield is the result of training outward character.The stable mind of a man of moral training in favorable orunfavorable circumstances is the result of his-conquering the fiveevil desires through training of Mind-Nature inwardly. Thus,the training of a soldier's character cannot by itself achieve thepower of Cultivation unless it is integrated with training in Mind-Nature; and a monk's inward power of trained Mind-Naturecannot be the perfect power of Cultivation if he has not trainedhis character outwardly in actual trying situations."

Prom "On Moral Practice" in the CanonicalTextbook of Won Buddhjsm

813

I4/ON B UDDHISM 2I

News Corner

l. The 4th Academic Meeting for the Reading of Papers on WonBuddhist Thoughts

The scholars and priests of Won Buddhism (twenty two in all)presented their papers on the thoughts and history of Won Buddhism.The meeting was sponsored by the Institute for Won BuddhistThoughts at the Great Dharma Hall in Won Kwang University onFeb. I to 2, 1985.

2. Seminars on Infant Education

The teachers and specialists (87 persons) on infant educationgot together at the Central Training Center of Won Buddhism fromacross the country on Feb. 2 to 3, 1985. The main issue at the meetingwas about creative infant education in respect of language and ac-quisition.

3. Celebrational Ce.remony of the Great Enlightenment Day

In commemoration of the Great Enlightenment of Ven. Sotaesan,the founder of Won Buddhism, a variety of congratulatory progrilmswere held in Apr., 1985. Especially, among the events, the perform.ances of Won Buddhist artisis-at the National Theater in Seoul wasconspicuous. Won Kwang Medical Center conducted gratis operationson persons with heart disease.

4. Somri Children's Festival

At Somri (the old nilne of Iri City) a splendid Children's Festivalwas held under the subtitle of Shinyong Field Dreaming Tree's FolkFestival on the main ground of Won Kwang University on May 5,63th Children's Day, 1985. About 10,000 children took parts inthe festival and they enjoyed a variety of Korean traditional folkgames.

5. Completion of Cheju International Training Center

A congratulatory ceremony, for the construction of Cheju Inter-national Training Center, was held at Ae-wol on Cheju Island, thebiggest island in Kore:a, on May 15, 1985. Some 3,000 followersfrom all the Won Bud'dhist parishes participated in the convention.

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8t1

22 WON B UDDHISM

6. Won Buddhist Students'Meeting

Some 2,100 students got together at Won Buddhist Headquarterson Jul. 29 to 31, 1985. Under the title of "Belief, Truth, Gratitude",the event contained a good variety of programs such as Dharmameetings, lectures, prayer, march, disucssion, and so on.

7. Won Buddhist Fine Arts Exhibition

The first Won Buddhist Fine Arts Exhibition took place in Chonjuon Dec. 20 to 27, 1985. The Exhibition, sponsored by Won BuddhistH.Q., was divided into general and religious parts. The total of 837works were displayed at the exhibition.'

8. "Won-Moo-Hoe" on Its First Stage

"Won-Moo-Hoe" (Won Buddhist Dance Association) presented itsfirst performance at the auditorium of Students' Hall in Won KwangUniversity on Dec. 7, 1985.

9. Establishment of Iri Charitable House and Sam Jung Won

Sam Jung Won (for homeless and helpless old people) and IriCharitable House (for mental patients) were constructed by WonBuddhist Social Welfare Group near Won Buddhist H.Q. respectivelyon Oct. 17 and Nov. 12, 1985.

10. Won Kwang Medical Center, Introducing C T.

Whole Body Computed Tomography, introduced from German,was newly facilitated in Won Kwang Medical Center on Nov. 29,, 1985.

E15

WON B UDDHISM 23

The Front View of Cheju lnternational Training Center

Won Buddhist Followers gotDrarma Meeting in Chefu on

together at the CongratulatoryMay. 15, 1985.

816

24 WO!\' B UDDHISM

Participants in W.onBuddhist Students'Meeting took a

lecture in Pine treesforest of WonBuddhist H. Q. on ful.30, 1985.

Children enioyed a

Korean folk game of"Tufonnori" on SomriChildren's Festival Dayof May 5, 1985.

Children enjoyed aKorean folk game of"lutnori" on the samecla y.

t:rtii:::i:j .

jl: :iir:

Ea7

WON BUDDHISM 25

"Human Bondage",Sculpture, wonthe first awaid onWon BuddhistFine ArtsExhibition.

Whole BodyComputedTomography(SoMATOM DRVersion C Style)newly facilitatedin Won KwangMedical Center.