2024-08-02 09:20:54
Hyeju, the monk of ‘Compassion Meditation’
“The best way to practice compassion is to forgive.”
“The best way to practice self-compassion is to forgive. Forgiveness is not for the other person, it is for myself.”
Words that seem familiar but are not. On July 30th, at Jingwansa Temple in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (Chief Monk Beophae), Monk Hyeju (Director of Jingwansa Meditation Center) explained ‘Compassion Meditation’ like this. Compassion Meditation is one of the various Zen meditation programs that can be practiced in daily life that will be revealed at the International Zen Meditation Convention held by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (Director Monk Jinwoo) in September.
Monk Hyeju said, “‘Ja (慈)’ is the heart that wants to love and make others happy, and ‘Bi (悲)’ is the heart that wants to sympathize with and relieve the sadness and pain of others.” He added, “Compassion meditation is finding ‘compassion’ in my heart and trying to send it to people I love, from those close to me to those far away.”
When asked, “How can we find compassion in our hearts?” he said, “Close your eyes quietly and think of a moment when you received warmth from someone.” At first, all sorts of thoughts will swirl around like tea leaves in a cup of hot water, but as they gradually settle, an image will emerge. When you think of something, he said to picture in your mind the person who showed you kindness and the action in more detail. When you say it’s hard at first, he said, “You may not be able to see it, but right now, there’s a smile on your face,” and “You can start from there.”
“Mindfulness is necessary to prevent depression and extreme choices from increasing due to excessive competition and self-consciousness as society becomes more and more brutal,” said Monk Hyeju, a professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Education at Dongguk University’s Wise Campus.
He said, “Hatred is a natural emotion that everyone has,” and “Therefore, rather than unconditionally saying, ‘You shouldn’t hate’ or ‘Make up,’ we need to help children (and adults) realize why they hate and what changes occur in their body and mind and express them.” When you hate someone, you get angry, have shortness of breath, and can’t feel joy, and it becomes an uncomfortable state, but if you learn to discern through meditation, you will make an effort to escape from the discomfort. In the process of recalling the other person’s words and actions and finding the hidden reasons behind them, you will let go of the hatred, and this will lead to forgiveness.
“The important thing is that letting go of hatred is not for the sake of others, but for the liberation of my own heart. There is no need to think that letting go of hatred and reconciliation are the same thing.”
Monk Hyeju said, “If my heart hates and is in pain, that is not compassion but forcedness.” He continued, “First, you must properly control the emotion of hatred, and then when you truly have the ‘heart of wanting to give something good (compassion)’, then you can forgive. This is why forgiveness is the best way to love yourself.”
Reporter Lee Jin-goo [email protected]
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2024-08-02 09:20:54