Stories
- Keynote Speech in Reception Ceremony at Yeoju HQ Temple Complex
I believe I can only express our deeply felt gratitude to chairman Yoon, chairman Bae, director Lee and director Kim, and all the staff for this wonderful day. I will make a short comment about this conference. But first I will introduce the foreign scholars. I will introduce all the scholars who made presentations at the conference. The first is a distinguished and senior guest from Japan, professor Hachiya Kunio from Tokyo University in Japan. The second is professor Eileen Barker from London School of Economics. And you may not know this, but she is OBE, which means Order of the British Empire. She is one of the few scholars to have received this distinction from Queen Elizabeth. She is a member of the Order of the British Empire, OBE. Then we have professor Bernadette Rigal-Cellard from University of Bordeaux in France. She is actually the chair of her department. She hosted a wonderful conference on East Asian new religions in Bordeaux last May of this year, featuring several participants from Daejin University and Daesoon Jinrihoe. Then we have Professor J. Gordon Melton, who is a distinguished professor of history of American religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is the only scholar I Know who wrote more than one hundred books about religions. Then, we have professor Susan Palmer from McGill University in Montreal Canada. That is another city we visited recently, and Daesoon Jinrihoe delegation enjoyed the hospitality of professor Palmer in her home in Montreal. And she is also a world famous specialist of new religious movements, particularly of children who grow up in new religions. And we have professor Patrick Laude from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. If you look at him, you will easily conclude he’s not American. He’s a distinguished French scholar of Eastern new religions. Next we have Rosita Soryte from Lithuania. She is a diplomat with 25 years of experience in the business of diplomacy. Most recently, she has been a minister counselor in the Lithuanian Mission at the United Nations in New York. Her most distinguished achievement has been chairwoman of the European Union Working Group on Humanitarian Aid during the Lithuanian presidency of European Union. Then, we will not leave Lithuania because we have Milda Alisauskiene. She is a professor of sociology of religion in the University of Kaunas in Lithuania. She also hosted last week a conference there in Lithuania, with a distinguished Korean delegation led by professor Bae. She is an expert in new religious movements and she is concluding her term as the president of the International Society for the Study of New Religions. Then we have professor Holly Folk from Western Washington University in Bellingham near Seattle, in United States, in the State of Washington. She is also a distinguished expert of new religious movements and expert of Chinese Christian new religious movements. Then we have professor Edward Irons of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia Pacific Studies, who is a well known expert of Chinese and East Asian new religious movements, and some of us were with him recently in Hong Kong. Then we have professor Thien Hong Ninh of California Polytechnic State University in USA. And she doesn’t look like an American-American. In fact she is of Vietnamese origins and we learned to appreciate her papers in recent conferences. She is a very distinguished specialist of Vietnamese religion and Vietnamese new religious movements. Then we have professor Po-Chi Huang of National Chengchi University in Taipei who is also a specialist of Asian religions, including India. And that gives me the opportunity to welcome all the Taiwanese delegation of this conference and to remember that our next conference of CESNUR (Center for Study of New Religions) will be in Taiwan in next year, June 2018. And somebody who needs no introduction is professor David Kim of Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. I am sure all in this room know him as a well known specialist of Korean religions. Then I would like to make a short comment on the conference and our gratitude about the conference. Some time ago, I learned that in the holy book of Daesoon Jinrihoe it is written that “Buddhism is form, Daoism is creation, and Confucianism is propriety”. And Daesoon Thought as a synthesis of the Three Teachings offers to us form, creation, and propriety. And I believe we have seen all these three at work both in the forum and in the wonderful visit to the headquarters temple of Daesoon Jinrihoe today. So the question I want to ask after this conference is “did we attend a conference only or did we attend something more than a conference?” I believe that the second answer is the real one. Yes, it was a conference but it was at the same time a spiritual experience, a real experience of form, creation, and propriety. This conference was a conference like no other. Of course, all conferences involve the exercise of the mind, but I will conclude with another teaching I found in the holy book of Daesoon Jinrihoe. I learned that our mind is inhabited by divine beings, and the way of divine beings to interact with the external world is through our mind. It is the first time a conference had such a magnificent scope of meaning. Whether or not we are believers of Daesoon Jinrihoe, it is very nice to believe that when we use our intelligence, divine beings work through us in an action beneficial to this world. There is a famous Western symbol that is the tree of life. The tree of life looks like a tree but it’s much more than a simple tree. Its roots are above, in the sky or in the heaven. In the Western tradition, the tree of life is the tree of knowledge and wisdom. But at the same time, it’s also the tree of spirituality, compassion, and love. For this reason, I want to conclude this very short and humble speech by presenting your chairman Yoon with a Tree of life. It comes from Lithuania. Lithuania is the country of amber. Amber is found on the shore of the sea, so you can regard it as a very natural stone. And in fact it’s not really a stone, but something different. It comes from trees buried on the depth of the sea roughly one million years ago. The sea takes small pieces off these trees and they are found on the beaches. When you put amber in your home, you have some effects similar to what in the East is the Feng Shui. Amber is a gift from the sea, but in ancient European countries it was regarded as a gift from the gods. So, with deep gratitude from the heart and deep emotion from what this conference and this visit have been, I would like to present chairman Yoon with a tree of life made of amber from the Baltic Sea. So thank you very much and thanks to all those who made translations and all the staff and volunteers which made this magnificent event possible.
2018-03-17
- Making a Contribution towards Spreading Sangje's Dao throughout the World
I began my cultivation in 2008 during my first visit to Korea since I had immigrated to the US in 1997. My father was Buddhist and my mother was Catholic. At the time, I mainly spoke English and my Korean was only mediocre. My major was in Asian Art History. Throughout my studies, I became interested in eastern philosophy and its deep understanding of the metaphysical world. During my stay in Korea, when I was asked if I was interested in resolving the grievances affecting my family and improving our karma, I agreed to do it wholeheartedly. I wore a beautiful traditional Korean dress (Hanbok) and participated in the ‘Ipdo-chiseong’ (I was told then that it was an initiation ceremony which marks the beginning point of the resolution of our karma and enables initiates to receive blessings through their sincere dedication and by offering of food to God, the great deities of Heaven and Earth as well as my ancestors). I had been sensitive ever since I was little. I had read a lot about spiritual experiences and wondered about my past lives. Understanding the principles of energy and the universe helped me realize a lot about my past lives, my family and my karma. As a child, I had often wondered about the world and all of its pain and suffering. Why would God not do anything about this if He existed? From the perspective of most religious teachings, I felt the world was unfair, and to be condemned for not having faith was likewise absurd. There was always something lacking; something missing which needed to be addressed. At long last, when I came to understand Sangje*’s Cheonji-gongsa (Work of Reordering the Universe), it radically opened up my view of the world. Learning about the ‘Reordering of the Universe’ helped me realize that I had been ignorant of my blessings and the grace of Heaven. From 1901 to 1909, Sangje made efforts to resolve the grievances which plagued the universe, and He opened up a path for the salvation of humankind through this resolution of grievances. I was grateful I had been given the opportunity to understand and participate in Sangje’s Cheonji-gongsa. Shortly thereafter, I began wondering why these teachings were not available in the western world. Like a pearl hidden in a mollusk shell, the wisdom of Dao has been handed down from mentor to mentee. I understood that one’s karma can stand in the way of understanding the true meanings of Dao, but I felt certain that many Westerners have connections to Dao from their previous lives. I have mainly practiced Dao in the US. Many Americans from diverse backgrounds and ancestry lines are cultivating Dao in the US. There are Europeans, Asians, Middle Easterners, Africans, South Americans and Latin Americans who cultivate and share their understanding of Dao. They come from diverse religious backgrounds ranging from Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) to Asian spiritual beliefs (Buddhism, Hinduism) as well as Atheists. Many seek to find peace in their mind and body, some cultivate Dao to repair their family’s karma and some seek enlightenment. In spite of differences in race and language, Dao can be universally understood because the understanding of Dao is heartfelt and develops as one ripens in the practice of Dao. In Dao, we are all united as one family under heaven. Among this large group, there is a Seonmu* of a Peruvian descent. Many of his family members suffered from bi-polar disorder. His brother, after an emotional breakdown, would often engage in drunk driving despite the risks involved and the danger this put his daughter in when she traveled with him. They suffered greatly due to the emotional trauma and stress this was causing. The Seonmu began a hundred day dedication for his family. Due to this practice, his family was able to find peace and several of his family members later participated in the Ipdo-chiseong. Many people report having felt or seen their ancestors while they participated in this ceremony. In one case, a Seonmu of Nicaraguan descent was worried because she was not able to conceive a child. Even though she exerted herself in reflection and prayer, these efforts proved unsuccessful. She knew that only a great act of dedication could allow her to resolve her karma. She thereby made up her mind to go on a pilgrimage in Korea to Sangje’s birthplace as well as the sites of His Cheonji-gongsa. Afterwards while engaged in Gido (reciting prayerful incantations) in Korea, she saw her great grandmother who encouraged her to cultivate diligently. Her great grandmother reassured her not to worry and further told her that her ancestors were all there to support and guide her through her cultivation. Sangje’s teachings are universal. Often the hardships we go through in life have answers which are contained within the passages of the Jeon-gyeong. A Naesu* of European descent had suffered greatly because of unfair circumstances at work. She lost her job numerous times and was constantly yelled at and bullied. Later on, she read Gyobeop chapter 2 verse 28 from the Jeon-gyeong which reads as follows: When Kim Hyeong-ryeol was on his way home, he crossed paths with Kim Joong-gu a Christian follower, who was excessively drunk at the time. Kim Joong-gu grabbed Kim Hyeong-ryeol and ruthlessly insulted him. Having suffered this severe insult, he returned and truthfully informed Sangje about what had transpired. Thus Sangje said to Hyeong-ryeol, “Fill a bowl with fresh water and reflect on your mistakes.” Hyeong-ryeol did as he had been ordered. After a while, Kim Joong-gu became sick and found himself upon the brink of death. Hearing this news from Hyeong-ryeol, Sangje advised him, “From now on, if this should happen again, do not hold a grudge against the other party. Instead, reflect upon yourself first. If it is your mistake, your mistakes will gain resolution. If it is not your mistake, then the poisonous energy will return to wherever it had come from originally.” It was hard for her to accept that she had done something wrong. She had been severely wronged and greatly hurt by this pattern that kept on repeating in her life. But through understanding the way of Cheok spirits* as well as understanding how Sangje resolved the karma of His disciples, she was able to reflect deeply upon her karma and what she might have done to accidentally invite such hardship. When she reflected and prayed in her heart to Sangje, she suddenly saw herself yelling and bullying others out of jealousy in a past life. She was surprised by this and found herself able to reflect on her karma. After sincerely reflecting in this manner, her co-workers stopped bullying her and her boss stopped yelling at her. She was greatly moved and decided to cultivate herself with all her heart and mind. Many millennials I have met have faced depression and anxiety as well as drug addiction. Often times, our various methods of cultivation have helped them understand the root of their karma and why they had sought out destructive habits while trying to find peace in their hearts. Sangje’s teachings greatly move the hearts of such people as well as deepen their understanding of themselves. I think all understanding begins with self-understanding and from this grounding we are then able to understand others and the world around us. As previously stated, many who have dedicated their hearts with sincerity have been able to overcome their addictions and greatly reflect on the pains they may have incurred in both their present and previous incarnations. After deep contemplation, many have gained profound insights regarding their past lives and family karma. Just as grievances exist for humanity as a collective, I think there are many forms of suffering that many people go through in life as individuals. Regardless of race, language and background, many have found profound understanding and gratitude through the teachings of Sangje (the Supreme Being), Doju* (the Master of Dao) as well as Dojeon* (the Leader of Daesoonjinrohe). Thriving from within this immense well of gratitude, I aim to pay forward these blessings which have optimized my life. I hope others will join me, so we can truly spread the teachings of Dao all over the world. *Sangje: an ancient name for the Supreme Being (or God) in East Asian religious traditions. Kang Jeungsan (1871~1909) is addressed as ‘Sangje-nim’ in Korean. *Seonsa: the name of a position within the fellowship system (kind of hierarchy) which designates someone as being in charge of propagation by helping and supervising Seonmus. *Seonmu: the name of a position within the fellowship system (kind of hierarchy) which designates someone as being in charge of propagation. *Naesu: the name of a position within the fellowship system (kind of hierarchy) for female general members. *Cheok spirits: Cheok is an emotional grudge that one person harbors against another. Since these emotions are the effect of grudge-harborer’s spirit, it is also known as a ‘Cheok spirit’. *Doju: the honorific title for Jo Jeongsan (1895~1958) who created the ways of cultivation as the founder of Mugeukdo, a religion from which Daesoon Jinrihoe later stemmed. He is normally addressed as ‘Doju-nim’ or ‘Okwangsangje-nim’ in Korean. *Dojeon: the honorific title for Park Wudang (1917~1996) who established Daesoon Jinrihoe. He is addressed as ‘Dojeon-nim’ in Korean. The essay was originally written in English for non-Korean English speakers, whereas the Korean version which appears on the previous page was translated for Koreans. For this reason, the two essays are slightly different in terms of content and expressions. As a bilingual, the author wrote these essays to sound natural and match the cultural conventions of her two intended audiences.
2018-03-17
