12/12/2024

The Way Of The World

The place this world came from is the original foundation, and the place it will go back to is also the original foundation.

Everything in the world is able to exist because the ground exists. The ground is able to exist because the Earth exists, and the Earth is able to exist because the empty Universe exists. The pure empty Universe, that has not one material thing, is the original foundation and the place of Truth. All creations came from this place - think of the place that remained after the animals and vegetation that existed in the world thousands of years ago disappeared - which is the original foundation. This is the place of Truth and the origin of the Universe.

It is the same when people die. Coming from and going back to the origin is the providence of nature, the way of the world, and Truth. The world can be saved and people can live only when they are born as the substance of the origin in the place of the Creator, that is the original foundation. All people, animals, and plants go back to this place at the end of their life spans.

What does not exist in this world does not exist. Namely, the world that man has stored in his mind by copying everything in the world does not exist. That world is hell. It does not exist because it does not exist in the world which is Truth. Without throwing away this false picture world that is hell, no one is able to go to heaven. Heaven is the original foundation of the world; therefore there cannot be everlasting life or eternity without being reborn in this place as this substance which is Truth. This place, heaven, is where man and the Universe live forever.

We must go back to the origin and be born in the origin. One goes back to the origin when his self has completely disappeared, and only when one dies and does not exist at all, will he be reborn and resurrected. Just as it is the origin, the Creator, that created all material things in the world, spiritual creation is only possible when done by a person who is the Creator. It can only be done by the master of the world because it is his decision to put the creations that are in his world into the land of Jung and Shin. It can only be done by him, and only he can save everything in the world. Christianity states that only God can save us, and Buddhism tells us that Maitreya, or the future Buddha will come to save the world. They are all referring to the master of the world - the master of the origin.

Reference: The great teacher Woo Myung's book "Stop Living in This Land, go to the Everlasting World of Happiness. Live there forever." p.128-129

Man Tries To Attain Truth Through Possession But Nothing Can Be Attained By Possession

Human life has only taught us to have and possess more. That mind of possession and attachment arises from one's feelings of inferiority. Many seek do - Truth or the Way - not for the purpose of becoming a true saint but to use what he learns from do to earn money or to trick ignorant people into thinking that they are great.

However, do is not about possessing or attaining; it is about discarding. Discarding one's false self and becoming true is do. A person who tries to possess things is foolish for he will not be able to possess anything, and he who seeks is also foolish for he will not be able to find what he is seeking. Rather, such a person will add to his burdens and suffering eventually leading to a mental breakdown. For someone who achieves something through gain or possession, his achievements reside in his false self.

The more one discards what is in his mind, the more Truth will enter his mind and the more he will be able to know Truth. If he continues to discard and discard again, all of one's desires - to become great or to achieve something - which arise from his feelings of inferiority will vanish. He will then be able to go to the world beyond these minds - the land of God - and everything that he had desired in the world will all be fulfilled.

Fulfillment or achievement comes from casting off all of one's preconceptions and habits; it does not come from giving in to the greed of one's feelings of inferiority. This only leads to committing more sin and such a person ultimately becomes possessed by greed.

Reference: The great teacher Woo Myung's book "Stop Living in This Land, go to the Everlasting World of Happiness. Live there forever."

10/12/2024

Only People Who Go To Heaven While Living Can Live In Heaven

People whose consciousness is living will live and those whose consciousness is dead will die.

In general, it is accepted that we go to heaven or hell after death, but if we do not become Truth now, we already live in hell.

When we watch a movie we become involved in it. We must follow the movie as it is written in the script. The way we live is the same as this in the sense that we live following the script written in our minds as we would if we were watching a movie. Just as the movie is not real, neither is the script in our minds. People live according to this false script of the mind not only while they live in this world but also after they die.

What is on film is not actually visible. However when it is projected, what is on the film becomes visible. Likewise, people's minds, invisible at first, can be seen when projected, for which the way one lives and one's shape are projections of one's individual mind. People's destinies are limited to the script of their minds. The life which they have been living

makes their shape now, and the way they are living now will determine their future.

People's minds are the same as their shape. People store in their shape the minds of what they see, hear, and feel throughout their life. People have anguish and desires because they are controlled by the countless different minds they have. Thoughts are the human mind which is in fact anguish and desires. In Buddhism, this is called the mind of 'desire, anger, and ignorance' and 'seven feelings and five desires'.

The root of this mind is the life one has lived. We must pull it out, and when that entire mind is discarded, it will disappear. The body and mind are not separate, but one. Even the shapes of the cells in our bodies are the same as our minds. This is because everything that is in our minds is embedded in every single cell of our bodies. This is why even after cleansing the mind we must cleanse our habits that are stored in our cells. One's mind is the life he has lived, which is karma, and the body is where the mind dwells. One's mind is his body itself. The body is one's habits.

Karma and habits are the conceptions and behaviors of the mind and when one discards them, he will see the place of Truth. One's conceptions are the way he sees things. One's behaviors and habits are the embedded desires of what he sees. People only know that which they have come to experience through their lives. If one is asked to speak the language of Uzbekistan, for which he is uneducated in, he will not be able to speak it, nor can anyone speak Malay if they have not learned it. People store their experiences in their minds. Such minds make judgments and people live as slaves to those judgments. They live only for their narrow self-centered minds which consists of what they have seen and felt. When this world is destroyed, when this false world of hell is destroyed, only the world of the Creator exists. This is heaven, the place of Truth.

Generally speaking, people say heaven exists; some best-selling authors go so far as to say they have been to heaven. However, there is such a thing as the heaven of the false mind, the heaven of hell; this is a delusion. Even though one says that he can see heaven through the opening of one's spiritual eyes, it does not necessarily mean that he himself can go to heaven. Such a heaven is not real but is a self-centered delusion.

Real heaven is the land of complete Truth. It can only be seen by those who become complete Truth. True righteousness is to know with wisdom rather than simply seeing heaven. Knowing with wisdom only comes by being reborn as the body and mind of the universe, the Creator of the infinite universe.

One must be free of his individual conceptions and habits, and become the originally-existing Truth in order to go to heaven and the world of Truth. In this world there is no individual and there is no whole. Each individual is the whole and the whole is the individual. This is the world where only Truth, which is one, exists.

When a person has his body he lives by the energy from food, and lives in his delusional mind. When he stops eating and his body dies, he who has a delusional mind will completely die. That delusional mind is false. One's past memories are his mind, and thus, he dies for that mind is false and not true. He will live in the false world, which is not true.

The false world is the mind that each individual has and it is embedded even in one's cells. Therefore one's body is not Truth, and he will live forever in the false world which is non-existent like a dream. He will live continuously being reincarnated in the false world forever; he lives in a dream which he can never wake from. This is hell.

In other words, since one is reborn as the soul and spirit of the universe, Truth, he no longer has death and lives forever. Thus, heaven is a place where he who no longer has his individual mind - he who is complete - lives. Heaven is not a place one goes to after death but the place where people are reborn and become Truth while living. Heaven is not a place where somebody, be that a savior, can take a person to after death. Only people, who are reborn from their narrow, limited, individual minds to the infinite, widest, biggest mind of the Creator, can live in heaven. Only Truth can live in heaven. Falseness cannot live in heaven. Those who become true while they are still alive can go to heaven. Those who have heaven while they are still alive can go there.

Reference: The Way To Become A Person In Heaven While Living

05/12/2024

The conditions for happiness - Cinematic Reflection on Meditation

The conditions for happiness

When I was working I rented a small house with a friend

and we lived together.

The house had a small garden

and since I loved flowers

I planted various kinds each spring.

I also planted a flowering tree

the tree grew steadily

and after 3 years.

It blossomed beautifully

covering its branches with small pink flowers.

On weekends, I found great peace and happiness

just sipping a cup of coffee while gazing at that tree.

However, the flowers only stayed beautiful for about 2 weeks

before wilting and falling

covering the yard with petals.

My friend who swept up the fallen petals

every day would complain that the tree was nothing but trouble.

They often grumbled about cutting it down in the fall

as stepping on the pedals felt like walking on trash

and caused them stress.

Despite my assurances that I would handle the cleanup

the petals remained a source of frustration

for my friend.

In the end when autumn came

I had no choice but to cut down the tree.

What brought me happiness

became a source of stress for my friend.

This experience showed me

that the conditions for happiness

differ greatly from person to person.

To me the brief labor of cleaning up petals

was a small price to pay for the joy

and beauty the tree brought to my eyes

and nose.

To my friend, however,

the fallen petals represented tiresome work.

My friend was a staunch realist

and often dismissed the concept of emotional happiness

as something only idealists could entertain.

They frequently told me to get my head

out of the clouds.

For them, happiness was watching their bank account grow

and owning a home through saving money.

We had vastly different standards for happiness.

I could skip a meal

but still find joy in buying a single chrysanthemum

to place in a voss during the fall.

My friend, on the other hand,

preferred using that money to buy fried chicken

which we would share and enjoy together.

What kept us as friends for so long

was our mutual respect

for each other's standard of happiness.

Neither of us imposed our criteria on the other.

If our source of Joy

caused significant inconvenience to the other

we would willingly give it up

because we deeply valued and cared for each other.

Our friendship endured

and left behind beautiful memories.

Insisting that my own happiness and joy

are the only right way to constrain relationships.

Relationships falter

when we impose our standards of happiness on others.

Through meditation,

I let go of all the conditions and criteria

for my happiness

and then a surprising transformation began in my life.

I started to live without obstacles flowing like water

experiencing happiness and joy

regardless of the situation.

If I only liked coffee I'd need coffee to be happy

but after letting go of my preferences.

I found happiness in drinking tea,

coffee or even just water

by erasing all the conditions for happiness

that I had created in my mind.

I discovered an unlimited source of joy and contentment.

Reference: Naperville MeditationHub.

04/12/2024

Breaking Free from the strings

Have you ever felt like your life was not your own?

I used to live like a puppet.

My emotions are controlled by the judgments of others.

When they wanted me to laugh

I laughed.

When they wanted me to cry

I cried.

My body worked tirelessly

following the demands of others

just to survive.

Since birth, I had never truly lived for myself.

I thought this was normal

that life meant being controlled by the invisible

strings of expectations

and time.

But as the years went by

I realized how empty this existence was.

No one truly saw me for who I was.

They only remembered the puppet they had created.

I longed to break free.

I wanted to live not as a puppet tied to strings

but as my authentic self.

It wasn't easy.

Letting go of the strings meant facing fears

doubts and the unknown

but when I finally let go.

When I cut the strings

and stepped away from the control of others

I discovered something extraordinary.

For the first time, I felt free,

I felt alive,

living as my true self.

I realized that life could be beautiful and fulfilling

in ways I had never imagined.

This journey taught me a profound Truth.

To truly live,

we must step away from the external controls

and reconnect with our inner selves.

It is only when we quiet the noise of the world

and look within

that we can find true freedom and happiness.

This is the power of meditation.

It is a journey back to yourself.

A way to cut the strings of the past.

Free yourself from the judgments of others

and discover the beauty of living authentically.

Are you ready to take that first step?

Reference: Naperville Meditation Hub.

Effects of this meditation on Breast Cancer Survivors’ Psychological Well-being

Effects of Ma-eum Su-ryun Program on Breast Cancer Survivors’ Psychological Well-being

Researcher Yun, M R. Professor, Chung-Ang University

Publisher School of Nursing, Seoul University

Publishing year Feb. 2014

With recent increases in cancer survival rates, many cancer survivors must manage aftereffects of cancer treatments as well as psychological impacts of cancer such as depression, stress, anxiety, anger, social isolation, interpersonal avoidance and withdrawal, many of which are often experienced severely.

This study aimed to examine the effect of Ma-eum Su-ryun on psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors. A Ma-eum Su-ryun program was developed for the breast cancer survivors considering their unique physical and psychological characteristics. The results showed that in comparison to a non-meditation group, the group which attended the Ma-eum Su-ryun program showed reductions in perceived stress, depression, and anxiety; and improved quality of life, life satisfaction, and post traumatic growth.

The participants reported that they experienced changes from negative mindset to positive one through cleansing their minds, which resulted in enhancement in life satisfaction, gratitude, and optimism.

Since the Ma-eum Su-ryun program was shown to be effective in improving psychological well-being and life quality through self-reflection and self-healing, if such program is utilized in clinical practice, it can provide a practical assistance for health maintenance and well-being of cancer survivors. Further, it can contribute to widening applications of nursing clinical interventions.

Study purpose

This study examined if the Ma-eum Su-ryun program would decrease depression, anxiety, and stress; and increase quality of life, sleep quality, life satisfaction and post traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors.

Study participants

54 breast cancer survivors participated in the study. They were aged from 30 to 65 years old, who received cancer surgery and treatments in the last 2 years and 6 months.

Study method

A randomized control trial method with control and experimental groups (pre and post-test) was used to examine the effect of the Ma-eum Su-ryun program. The experimental group received 8 weeks of the Ma-eum Su-ryun program, twice a week (2 hours each session). The control group received 4 weeks of a self-management program, once a week (2 hours each session).

The programs started from July to September, 2013 in a hospital seminar room. The study was approved by IRB of Department of Nursing, Seoul University (IRB approval No: 2013-52) and Seoul Asan Hospital (2013-0443).

Theoretical foundation utilized the principle of Ma-eum Su-ryun which includes 8 levels of a specific mind cleansing method.

Study tools

1) Depression: CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale)

2) Anxiety: BAI (Beck’s Anxiety Inventory)

3) Stress: PSS (Perceived Stress Scale)

4) Quality of life: FACT-B (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast)

5) Quality of sleep: PSQI (Pittsburgh’s Sleep Quality Index)

6) Life satisfaction: SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale)

7) Post Traumatic growth: PTGI (Posttraumatic Growth Index) included 5 subcomponents of depth of interpersonal relationship, discovery of new possibility, discovery of personal inner power, increased interest in spirituality and religion, and gratitude about life.

Study results

1) The breast cancer survivors group which received the Ma-eum Su-ryun program showed a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress; and showed a significant increase in quality of life, sleep quality, life satisfaction and post traumatic growth.

2) When analyzing qualitative data of the Ma-eum Su-ryun program participants, through cleansing their negative mind, they were able to become more positive with improved life satisfaction and gratitude. They experienced finding true happiness, “from imprisonment to freedom,” and “from closed minds to an open world.”

3) 81.5% of the participants completed the Ma-eum Su-ryun program, (with an 83% attendance rate) which demonstrated the program’s good potential for clinical intervention and utilization.

Many research studies and theories suggested that to increased life quality, well-being and health promotion, more emphasis was needed on spiritual health, positive outlook on life, and self-transcendence. This study result was meaningful in that, it pointed to and confirmed significant beneficial effects of the Ma-eum Su-ryun program and its promising potential for clinical utilization.

Through self-reflection and self-healing enabled by the Ma-eum Su-ryun program, mental well-being and quality of life can be improved. When utilizing the meditation program for cancer survivors, it can be a valuable support for the survivors, enabling them to lead healthy and happy life.

<Stress reduction>

The breast cancer survivors who participated in the the Ma-eum Su-ryun program significantly decreased perceived stress in comparison to the other group who didn’t participate.