oo%
I 992
VOLUME
IBI,
TV NUMBENIO
KOREA
1204 1205
CONTENTS
Editorial
1
The Environmental Problem and the 'FOUR GRACES' by Prof.Pal-Gon Kim .
......
Oriental Thought and Environmental Problems
byProf.Jun-SikChoi
".....0
Environmental is not a Problem for Sclentists. but for All of Us
byDr.
NaeChangHan
Sotaesan' s Perspective on Environmental Ethics
SunggonKim. News Corner
...24
Wing
A Letter from a Dharma Friend of U.S. to the Prime Master of Won Buddhism
WON BUDDHISM Published by : Research lnstitute for Overseas Missions
Wonkwang University lri. Chonpuk The Republic of Korea
.....10 ...--10
byProf.
A Notice f rom Chairperson of WCRP/ACRP Women's
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Daesan -
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IV NO.IO
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BUDDHISM
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1992
Editorial !n the coming new year, many people will reflect upon the upheavals and tranforming events of 1992. A treaty of amity was concluded between The Republics of China and Korea. Presidential elections in Korea and the United States of America and the changes of leadership they brought about signalled the will of the peoples of both nations for positive change and stability. Bloody and intractable conflicts such as the Gulf war; the lsraeliPalestinian impasse; the Balkan dissolution; African warlord-caused famines in Somalia; the struggle of South Africans to shed Apartheid; religion-based antipathies in the lndian subcontinent, and the continuing domination of the human spirit by communist regimes still clinging to power in a handful of countries by their fingertips, all combine to reveal a picture suggesting a human existence on the planet shaped completely by social, economic and political prerogatives. And yet there remains another issue which promises, even threatens. to push aside these truly weighty issues and events; issue which will not wait much longer in the background while so many continue to thrash about in the often futile-seeming panorama of mankind's many inhumanities toward itself. That global issue, and a most serious one it is, is the issue of environmental pollution and the destruction of natural ecosystems. Where is the person so isolated that he or she would have to go to another place in order to see and feel the signs and symptoms of our ailing and polluted earth. The sweet air which maintains the lives of all but the most trivial living things is contaminated by the black clouds vigorously belching out from a hundered million automobile exhausts, from factories, from power generation plants, and from open burning of substances too numerous to count, but including the tropical rain forests necessary to replenish the very air itself. And what of our planet's water? lt, also. cannot escape from the miseries brought on by a range of pollutants truly staggering in their number, variety and level of toxicity. The once crystal clear running
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water has already become a thing of the past in most places where it is near human habitation or activity. Once pristine rivers and streams and creeks are no longer the paradise for eels and trout and water mammals they once were. lnstead. the polluted water has transformed some of these creatures into crooked monsters; mutated caricatures of their formerly splendid forma. We humans have no more the privilege to enjoy drinking pure water f rom well with easy and untroubled minds. We are shocked, saddened and outraged when we hear of the increased instance of newborn babies deformed as the result of their mothers working at some chemical industrial companies. We must consider all these matters thoroughly and ask ourselves whether excessive desire for the material development which in our opinion has been necessary to gain our heavenliness and comfort on this earth won't eventually require the sacrifice of our most basic physical asset. namely a healthy. and healthful, natural environment. Fortunately, some people have been wise enough to recognize that our global village is facing a grave ecological crisis, and that human beings should expect the inevitable consequences of their indiscreet and destructive practices should such deeds continue unabated. Enlightened people. in a frantic effort to inspire ecology-awareness in people of the seriousness of this global problem, are giving lectures, seminars, symposiums and workshops in conferences big and small. Meeting and assemblies have been held in many countries around the globe. for the purpose of serious discussions about these and related environmental issues. Now we can clearly see that this is the time for all of us to make some important decisions. after asking ourselves the question; Can members of the global family continue to seek ever more luxurious and boundless material substance, in the knowledge that by doing so they are contributing to the destructive forces which can ultimately only result in the death of nature and thereby of humanity.
BUDDHISM 3
The Environmental Problem and The 'FOUR GRACES' Prof. Pal-Gon Kim L. The Environmental Problem
of this age are confronted with a new problem that the human race has never known before. lt is the environmental problem. The continuation of human existence depends upon whether we can find a right solution to the problem. The environmental crisis is a crisis that threatens to undermine the very conditions of human existence, and it is the byproduct of scientific-technological industrial operations. It is not a natural disaster but a man-made disaster,Since it is related to human action the possibility of elimination of the crisis depends upon how human beings think and act. It is usually said that while the conquest of nature has been made by man in the western culture, the harmony between nature and man has been sought in the oriental culture. !t is known that to western man the problem of the ideal condition for human existence is only a matter of relations between men. Freedom and equality were proposed as the basic principles relating between men. Then, it was impossible for western modern man to imagine the world in which the human mismanagement of nature nullifies all the ideal designs for ideal conditions of human existence. There was no reverence for the ordbr of nature as was the case in the oriental traditions. ln the western modern culture, nature became the object of concern only as the object of domination and conquest to satisfy unlimited human desires. It is imperative for us now to overcome the environmental crisis, if we want to preserve the conditions for human existence. To do that, it is very important to transform the wrong-headed self-image of man himself as was pictured in the western modern culture. The western modern man had unconditional confidence in man and man's power, le., reason with respect to the matter of searching for truth and making an ideal place for man. Truth lies within the boundary of human activity. and Utopia is feasible within the design and management of Human beings
rational beings. ln this picture nature is alienated. Unfortunately in the contemporary post-modern industrial society the unconditional confiderrce in man and man's power which the western modern man had,
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has been generalized into people all over the world. I[
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. The 'Four
Graces'
where do we find the right self-image of man? The founder of won Buddhism, the Great Master Sotaesan, said, "According to the development of scientific civilization, the human spirit, which should make use of material things, grows weaker, while material things. which should be used by human beings. increasingly flourish and assert their domination over the enfeebled human spirit. Thus.human beings find themselves chained to the servitude of materialism." According to him, we can find the right self-image of man in those who can strengthen the power of the spirit over the forces of material things. He said to us, "As material civilization develops. cultivate spiritual civilization accordingly" as the motto expressing the motive behind the foundation of Won Buddhism. According to him, the power of the spirit over the forces of material things is fundamentally originated in ll-Won which is the origin of all beings in the universe. "ll-won is composed of the Four Graces, and the Four Graces comprise all beings in the universe. All things that we see in the universe are nothing but Buddhas. fherefore, at alt times and in all places we must be very respectful and cautious toward all things. keeping a pure mind and a pious manner as if we were before the real Buddha." According to him, the whole universe is full of GRACE. To realize the Trugh of ll-Won means to realize that the whole universe is full of GRACE. The GRACE is divided into the Four Graces, namely the Grace of Heaven and Earth, the Grace of Parents. the Grace of Brethren and the Grace of Law. The four Graces means the Grace of all things of the universe. Human beings cannot live even for a moment without the Grace. Realizing that the whole universe is full of GRACE, human beings can have a right self-image of man and a right viewpoint about nature. Nature is not an object for human beings to conquer but an object for human beings to requite with thanks. The Great Master suggested the items of the Grace from nature as following I (1) There is air in the heaven for us to breathe so that we may live.
(2) There is soil on the earth for our bodies to settle down upon. (3) There is sunlight and moonlight for us to be able to discriminate, so that we may know all things.
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(4) There is the grace of the winds and clouds. rain and dew for us to use, that we may live on their products. (5) There is No Birth and No Death of Heaven and Earth;and Following this way of No Birth and No Death, all creatures gain eternal life.
There
will be no way to solve the
environmental problem fundamentally without changing the human attitude as the conquerors of nature into that of one who requites the Grace of nature. Therefore it is one of the greatest tasks to make human beings realize heartily the Great Grace of nature. The Great Master suffered from coughing every winter and the coughing always interrupted his preaching. He said to the assembly, "My birthplace, Kilyong-ni, as you know, is noted for the unusual poverty and ignorance of its people. Fortunately. however. according to my habit from former lives, I made a decision to study the Law in the early part of my life. But although I sought the way with sincerity, I had to think by myself and had to suffer from various difficult and hard ascetic disciplines because I had no teacher to inform me about the way to become enlightened to the Law. Sometimes I went to the mountains, staying there overnight. or sat up on a'road or in a room until dawn. I took baths with ice water, abstained from food. and made my room icy cold. My ascetic discipline was so severe that I became unconscious. Finally all doubts were solved, but a disease had deeply rooted itself in my body and it is growing serious according to my declining physical condition. I had no choice at that time for I did not know how to study. You are greatly blessed people because from my past experiences you have been taught the perfect way of Mahayana moral practice, without suffering from a difficult and hard ascetic discipline. Generally, the practice of constant Sdn and omnipresent Sdn is the shortcut in Mahayana moral practice. lf people practice in this way. they will achieve twice as much with half the effort. Also. no disease will affect them. I beseech you not to practice the wrong way and hurt your body, but remember the useless sufferings that I had when I could not find the right way of study?,
From "On Moral Practice"of The Scripture of Won Buddhism
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Oriental Thought and Environmental problems Prof. Jun-Sik Cho,
It has not been so long since enviromental problems teft the nuclear danger behind and appeared as a pending issue which all mankind should deal with successfully with the collapse of the cold war confrontation between east and west, environmental probtems have resulted in an imminent danger of possibly wiping out the whole of mankind, whereas the nuclear issue is no longer so hot. Scholars searching for the reat reasons underlying present environmental pollution seem to agree to attribute it to a philosophical aspect of Christianity. They have it that Christianity regards human beings as the center of the universe and only human beings are permitted to conquer and put nature at their disposal, thereby sometimes violating the earth. Such a belief has its source in the Book of Genesis of the Old Testament. Scholars holding the above view insist that people should restore the oriental spirit or simple view of nature as hetd by the American tndian. The reason oriental thought is indispensable ln coping with the environmental problems is that it recognizes nature as an object of worship rather than distancing oneself from nature as an external object. ls this really true, however? ls it possible to break the fetters of environmental problems only by application of oriental thought? lf we follow oriental philosophy, espcially Taoism. to resotve the environmerltal problems, we must discard right away all that scientific civilization accomplished so far. I never agree with that. Scientific civilization, the great contribution of the west, has brought material affluence into the world, and made it possible to carry out democracy for the first time in the human history. Democracy can be attained after many trials and errors. not by only a few revolutionaries but by rapid development of communication skills. This may be an exaggeration. but democracy couldn't have originated from the so-called excellent oriental thought let it be supposed that the latter was the governing ideology defore. To give another instance, it is often said that we should recover the natura! state of Lao Tzu to overcome the environmenta! problems. By
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the way, as it is, we can't now get back to the ideal land of Lao Tzu, primitive state of Tao. He compared Tao to the natural and coarse state just like untouched logs cut down a minute ago. However, such a log would be a thing of no practical use in daily life. The log must be processed to make chairs, desks, and other necessities. ln other words, only the artificial products made through the destruction of the primitive state, become useful to human beings. ln this sense. oriental thought may be helpful in the solution of environmental problems, but not greatly so. There is persuasion in the view of uselessness of oriental thought in the case of enVironmental pollution by waste water or waste matter. ln spite of this there is yet room for it to contribute to the betterment of environmental conditions. Although the structure of modern industry is such that it cannot help discharging industrial waste, the fundamental resolution of the problem will only be brought about by each individua!'s mental reorientation on the environmental probtem. Here I would like to see the reorientation come about through the new Korean religions-Donghak, Jeungsankyo, and Won Buddhism. These religions regard nature not as being dead but as being alive. Morever, Haewol and Sotaesan reconize heaven and earth as lofty Being like parents. A dramatic episode happened to Haewol. one day he was much surprised to feel a sudden pain in his chest seeing an child stamp on the road. To him the earth is the same as a mother's breast, so he was always in accord with the earth. Haewol also kindly advised women not to throw off water, spit or blow their noses on the earth. This view is almost one with that held by the American lndians. A representative of white peple wanting to expand territory toward the west sent a letter to the lndians asking to buy land. but he was answered by a letter saying that the earth isn't an object of trade as it is like a mother. He went on to say that trees and grass, like mother's hair, shouldn't be cut off, and that rivers and streams, Iike mother's veins, shouldn't be contaminated. Receiving the tetter, the white man sniffed at the apparently obsolete and superstitious idea to show his disapproval. But now ironically the earth cannot be saved without restoring such a view of nature. The same principles are found in Jeungsan s thought. According to him, the whole universe is alive and full of divine spirits. Even the collapse of a wall and getting a thorn under the nail are controlled by the divine spirit. Therefore one should treat all things with respect.
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Jeungsan also wants us not to kill a trifling insect such as a fly, for the universal spirit could be blocked by a fly bearing a grudge. 'A life should not be hurt recklessly for the sake of smooth circulation of the universal spirit. Against the same background, Sotaesan and Chongsan's thought can be illuminated. Their thoughts are basically consistent with the benevolent life-centered idea of Buddhism. 'The Grace of Heaven and Earth' of Won Buddhism says the heaven and earth should be respected just like one's parents. The respect of nature by the primitive Buddhists was really tremendous. ln the Buddhist commandment chapter. monks were prohibited f rom digging in the ground so as not to kill the insects in it. Their austere moral practice was also strict. Shakyamuni Buddha didn't allowed monks to possess personal goods and even recommended they repair and wear the clothes of corpses. And leftover food must not be left in the ditch near the temple. Although the times have changed since then and these particulars cannot now be practiced. I believe Won Buddhism should strcceed in the original spirit. The nine disciples of early Won Buddhism were thorough in their austerity. ln view of this thrifty spirit, the over-consumption these days loses its place. The old masters taught austerity not only because of their poverty but because of the enlightened view that useless overproduction would be certain to block regeneration of nature thereby causing grave environmental pollution. To prevent this. people should diminish their earthly desires. Religionists have been saying that it is easier and more economic to reduce human desires than to make more goods. Sotaesan also admonished his disciples to reduce their desires at every opportunity. Maybe the environmental problems of the earth cannot be solved for all time without a movement to reduce human desires on a large scale. A similar episode is told of Chongsan, the successor to Sotaesan. He always insisted his followers turn off the street light when unnecessary. I'd like to set a high value on his philosophy of life based on public interest as well as conservation of resources. lf we value the resources of society as our own possessions, we can never be prodigal of them. The life-centered-thought has also been sincerely kept. Seeing insects throw themselves into a fire and be burnt, Chongsan told his disciples not to light a lamp except on a public occasion. These episodes present a striking contrast to the practices of modern people, who turn on lights powered with high-voltage current to cruelly kill bugs, while enjoying the accompanying "buzz-7-7" .
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I believe that there is no way but to implant life-centered thought in every person's heart for the solution of the environmental problem. Just as in Sotaesan's expression "As material civilization develops,
cultivate the spiritual civilization," material conveniences are rapidly increasing, while spiritual endeavors to control them are seldom seen now. ln the face of such affluent material development, human beings have become thirsty for more materials. and recklessly consume them. The longstanding task of religion is nothing other than to evolve the human spirit as soon as possible.
When the first Temple of Won Buddhism of this Order was constructed at the foot of Oknyo-bong in Kilyong-ni, the Great Master wrote the following words on the roof beam of the house ! The alternation of day and night has its source in WonTruth, Weaving the Law of the circulation of seasons. Under the words he added : A pine tree stands monopolizing the liveliness of spring. The confluence of water running from a thousand mountains produces a thunderous roar. From "lntroduction" of The Scripture
of
Won Buddhism
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Environment
is not a Problem for Scientists', but for All of Us./ Dr. Nae -Chang Han
I . Introduction Environment refers to the socjal ,nO nr,rral conditions that surround us. This paper will focus only on the natural, physical condition rather than the social condition as an issue. This physical condition emerges as a serious problem of the modern societies. The problem can be summarized by two categories of (a) deptetion of resources and (b) pollution (contamination) of environment. Until some time ago. mankind had seemed to believe that the natural resources were given to us unlimitedly and that nature had a sufficient self-purification capability, Now, all of us have come to know that the natural resources are not unlimited and have been depleted due to our excessive exploitation. And also we know that our environment : air, water, land, etc. is seriously contaminated by industrial and domestic waste. There is no place where we can hide from this polluted environment. The problems that have now become a part of common knowledge such as acid rain, collapse of ozone layer, danger of radioactive contamination, and pollution of river, air and land are no longer just the problems of the scientific laboratories or conferences but are problems for all of us- who are living on this earth. The toxicity from environmental destruction threatens not only the lives of mankind, but of all living things on this planet. Because all existence on the earth is closely linked together like a chain, destruction of a part influences the rest of existence. Thus, the current indiscreet destruction of the environment has destroyed the ecosystem itself. The issue of environment is not merely one of scientific knowledge for academicians but one for ordinary civilians. The solutions to environmental problems are related to survival of this planet, not just to prosperous lives. This paper will introduce a religious idea that contributes to fundamental solution of the environmental problem. ln order to do that, a brief review of the issue will be presented right after this introduction.
It
. WtrV has the environmental problem
become a serious issue?
Environment becomes a social problem. The problem emerged at the time of transformation of production mode from hunting and gathering to cultivating. ln the hunting and gathering mode of production, there was iittle surplus product and peple tried to adapt to nature. However, with the transformation of the mode of production from simple gathering to cultivating, people came to own land, thereby conquering nature. People cleared the land for crops and domestic animats. The land-cleqring led to destruction of the environment. However, the eartier forms of land-clearing were relatively not serious to people and the environment. ln the modern era, industrial revolution and urbanization (concentration of people and inciustry in cities) began to give rise to fullfledged environmental problems. lmprovement of living standards based on scientific revolution prolonged the average longevity of human life, in turn teading to an explosion of population. The increased absolute size of population requires more exploitation of nature. ln order to increase the variety of industrial products. including primary and processed products, we have pursued imprudent developmOnt policies. The result was serious environmenta! destruction. Despite the warnings of people with foresight, everyone has competed and is
competing
for exploitation of our environment.
Recently, Some
advanced countries have launched systemic planning to conserve natural resources and to control various types of pollution. However. the degree of the overall effort is too limited to be effective for the recovery of our devastated earth. Following the advanced industrial states, most developing and under-developed countries have been spurred to design and push forward innumerable plans that overlook environmental imperatives, because of the high costs of environmental conservation measures. Even if the price of that environmental devastation in the future is expected to be enormous, they do not hesitate to follow the tracks of the advanced countries. They argue that they cannot otherwise support their increased population. On the one hand, it is true in part that the increased absolute size population made people pay little attention to the demolition of the of environment, aS mentioned. To support people, products made by traditional modes of production were not enough. lt is true that a revolution in production was needed. Then. people believed that a certain
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degree of environmental breakdown was a necessary evil. Of course, it will be partly true. However, the price of environmental breakdown will be in excess of the gains from the increased production power. Therefore, without a transformation of our beliefs or way of life, the devastation of environment has no choice but to be aggravated. On the other hand, our way of life may atso influence the environmental problem. Most environmentalists have mainly focused on the former issue, physical aspects of environmental demolition. and tend to advocate technological solutions to the problem. For exampte, some scientists tend to advocate technologica! solutions to the problem. For example, some scientists suggest the use of solar power as an alternative to shortage of energy and technological improvement for a variety of industrial pollutants. However, they do not compose a permanent solution of the problem. The current production processes and the luxurious way of life only promote greater exploitation of nature. ln addition, new products and production processes are likely to produce new problems, according to our historica! learning. Here, wd need a kind of mental revolution with respect to the world-view of environment. Won Buddhiim provides an idea helpfu! in resotving the issue.
[[.
Cognition of Nature as Graces
As briefly mentioned, there are several viewpoints with respect to nature. Some see nature as given by the irresistible force of the universe. Most trends of oriental philosophy have taken this position. They traditionally emphasized adaptation to the irresistible entity rather than conquest of nature. lt is believed that nature has its own way. Therefore, it is said that human beings should not intervene in the way of nature. "Some others view nature as a collection of objects to be used for human benefit. All things are believed to be objetts given to human
beings by the absolute. Therefore, humans (sometimes. all creatures in the universe) have a right to use everything created on the earth. This view emphasized conquest of nature rather than adaptation to nature. Under-utilization of the resources of the earth is one s fault. People should make an earnest effort to develop the environment. Not to do so might be believed to be ignorance of the call of the gods The above two viewpoints consist of two traditional 'ways to see nature. ln addition to those traditional views, some scientists have dis-
WON BUDDHISM 13
covered interconnection and interdependence of all living and non-living things and have developed the concept of the ecosystem. According to this scientific viewpoint, all that exists in our environment, including humans are closely interdependent. Existence of one thing is not possible without the presence of all other things surrounding it. Destruction of one thing will influence all other things in the environment one by one. Therefore, it is an inevitable conclusion from that knowledge that destruction of our environment will cause destruction of ourselves. The Canon of Won Buddhism saYS : tf one wishes to know how much one is favored by Heaven and to reftect on whether one can have one s being without Heaven and Earth...' One soon realizes that life without Heaven and Earth is impossible. Therefore, if this is the case, what greater Grace can one know than that of Heaven and Earth, then one has only
Earth?
Nature, or environmqnt are expressed as Heaven and Earth. lt is said in the canon that Heaven and Earth are the givens without which none of us can survive. Then, Heaven and Earth are viewed as "Grace" The canon continues l
It is a general truth that there are ways and virtues in Heaven and Earth; that the automatic motion of the great organs of the universe, is the way of Heaven and Earth' that the results from the operation of their,ways are virtues of Heaven and Earth. The ways of Heaven and Earth are extremely bright, sincere, righteous, proper and natural, ...All things retain their lives and their shapes owing to the great virtue that results from their operations of the great ways. This paragraph suggests that nature is a dynamic entity that operates following certain laws and rules. ln the course of its operation, the universe provides an environment in which all living things can retain their lives. According to this canon, the environment, aS expressed by Heaven and Earth is not merely the physical conditions surrounding human beings without a kind of consciouness. lt is said that even though we do not know the ways of Heaven and Earth, the universe follows certain paths which are bright, sincere, righteous, proper, and natural. The way refers to "Tao". This passage makes us associate the idea of "invisible hand Of nature, r)" whiCh was prevalent in the
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early stage of the scientific revolution (or industrial revolution). The basic idea is that nature has a capability of self-regulation and its operation is based on laws. Thus. the teaching requests to know the laws of nature. Here, the laws, or "Taoimean not onty physical forces which the universe as a collectivity of material has, but also the divine spirit of nature that is expressed by all the beings in the universe. The canon itemizes the contents of Grace of Heaven and Earth : (1) There is air in the heaven for us to breathe so that we may live.
(2) There is soil on the earth for bur bodies to settle down upon. (3) There is sunlight and moonlight for us to be able to discriminate, so that we may know all things. (4) There is the grace of the wlnds and clouds, rain and dew for us to use, that we may live on their products. The religious tenet suggests that we should recognize the contents of Grace by Heaven and Earth and follow the way of nature (Tao). That is the only method by which we human beings can survive on this planet. The religious doctrine examplifies four types of Grace I Heaven and Earth, Parents, Brethren, and Law. ln the section, "the Grace of Brethren," the religious lesson teaches that "one should consider whether it is possible to live in a place where there are no human beings, no birds and beasts, no trees nor grass...lf one cannot live without the help of the these brethren, without relying upon them and without their supplies. what Grace could be greater?" All things in our environment are seen as brethren without which.we cannot continue our lives. Then, the tenet requests of us that we should know the contents of Grace by the Brethren including environmentat elements such as trees, grasses, animals, etc. and should attempt to repay the indebtedness. ln this religious lesson, one main characteristic is the idea that the individual is placed in a complex network of all living and non-living 1) At that time, this idea was sometimes used to rationalize prosperous capitalism. Based on this ideology, the ideas of free-market and free-competition were advocated. Because nature has its own capacity to retain equilibrium, human beings should not intervene in the way of the nature, Thus, this logic was used to rationalize the status quo by the haves. Therefore, it is natural that the have-nots resisted this conservative ideology. Here, this idea is quoted just to indicate that the nature, environment, has the capability of self-regulation.
WON BUDDHISM 15
things. Thus, other human beings, as well as living and non-living things consist of an environment to me without which I cannot sustain my life and I also become an environment to them as a fundamental component of their lives. The environment is.not only a collectivity of objects to be used for our selfish purpose, but an entity that has the right to retain its existence in this universe. We human beings, are just a part of the environment. We are not our own lord of heaven and earth, but just a segment of it. This world-view is not a particularly new idea with respect to the issue of environment. Nevertheless, this religious lesson teaches one way to surmount the environmental problem. lt just suggests that not only physical effort and technological innovation but also mental transformation with respect to the environment is needed for the genuine solution of these problems.
The Great Master said, "What we now need to know and teach is Buddha s moratity. Study the essential meaning of Buddha Dharma, and since then I have been putting emphasis on inspiring religious faith into the minds of people only by means of an unorganized teaching System, according to their intelligence. I have done this because I observed that your understanding of the truth is still far from complete. On the other hand, because Buddhism has been ill-treated in this country for several hundred years, and because consequently the people lack reverence for it, I fear that ignorant people might be very indifferent to my Buddhist teachings. lf you are to be enlightened to the genuine Truth and seek after the goal of the true discipline, leading all sentient beings into the path of wisdom and blessedness, Buddha Dharma should be the main principle in your teachings. From "lntroduction" of The Scripture of Won Buddhism
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Sotaesan's Perspective on Environmental Ethics Prof. Sunggon Kim
ln accord with the development of scientific civilization, human spirit, which should make use of material things, grows weaker, while material things, which should be used by human beings, increasingly flourish and assert their domination over the enfeebled human spirit. Thus, human beings find themselves chained to the servitude of materialism. How, then, can they expect a life free from suffering and troubles?') This is a statement of Sotaesan, the founder of Won Buddhism, found in "The Motive Behind the Foundation of Won Buddhism. " This statement implies that for Sotaesan one of the most important causes of human suffering in modern time lies in the developed scientific-material culture and the relatively enfeebled human spirit. Sotaesan did not mention the environmental issue directly, but we can easily assume that environmental problems are one of the troubles produced by the developed material culture and the weak human spirit indulged in materialism. The following are samples of Sotaesan' perspective on the enviromnental issues, which the author assumes based on The Scripture of Won Buddhism. First. Sotaesan perceives the relationship between human and nature (or environment) as "Grace (Un)" without which humans cannot survive. This idea of .Un implies that only through the right understanding of sympathetic relationship between humans and nature, can a human solve his or her environmental problems fundamentally. . Secondly, for Sotaesan, all beings. living or non-living, in the world are constituted of one Vital Energy(ki), and therefore we should regard the whole of nature as one organic being. Thirdly, the f aith in ll-Won, Ultimate Reality, teaches that we should regard all beings, including nature, as Buddhas, and so be pious and careful to whatever we tieat. 1) Scripture of Won Buddhism (Hereafter SW), trans. ChonPal-Khn(lri : Won Kwang Publishing Co., 19BB), p.1. (The writer corrects sorne translations based on the original Korean text Wonbulgyo Kyojun)
Lastty, Sotaesan maintains the balance of material culture and spiritual cutture. The role of religion is not the negation of material culture but completing it by cultivating human spirituality.
I . The Grace of Nature The tenet of Grace (Un) is one of the most important tenets in Won Buddhism. Grace here signifies the nature of the relation between human beings and other beings, such as Heaven and Earth, Parents, Brethren, and Law, without which human beings cannot survive. Flegarding the Grace of Heaven and Earth, Sotaesan says I lf .one wishes to know how much one is favored by Heaven and Earth. then one has only to reflect on whether one can have one s being without Heaven and Earth. However stupid and slow-witted one may be. one soon realizes that life without Heaven and Earth is an impossibility. Therefore, if that is so, what greater Grace can one know than that of Heaven and Earth.z) Here. by Heaven and Earth, Sotaesan actually means universe or nature such as air, soit, sun, moon, winds, clouds, etc..3) As Sotaesan states, it is true that human beings cannot survive without these natural elements. Moreover, according to Sotaesan, the way nature cares for humanity is so great; it demands nothing and does not take any pride while it provides invaluable things to human beings, lt also provides rain and sunlight equally to the good and the evil. the rich and the poor, without any discrimination. Sotaesan calls these great benefits of nature the Grace of Heaven and Earth. Here. Sotaesan applies the Buddhist Causal Law of Betribution to this relation between human and nature. As long as a human receives great benefits from nature, he or she should requite them; otherwise. will suffer in accord with the Causal Law of Retribution. Then, how can one repay the grace to nature? Can one provide any material things good to nature? Probably not. For humans, according to Sotaesan, the way to requite the grace is to model themselves after the way Heaven and Earth present benefaction to them. That is, as the way of Heaven and Earth is extremely "bright, sincere, fair, prOper and natural, "', contains neither good luck 2) SW, p. 8. 3) SW. p. 8.
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nor bad luck, has no pride in their offering of benefit. " humans also should live like this. lf they follow the way of Heaven and Earth faithfully, they will prosper. but if not. they will suffer through the Causal Law of Retribution. Therefore, we can say that the environmental problems are caused by humans who do not know the grace of nature or requite the grace of nature properly humans are just eager to fulfill their desire by exploiting nature infinitely. Humans suffer now, but it is an inevitable retribution from nature for human s wrongdoing. l[
. The Vital Energy Filling Humanity and Nature.
The concept of Ki (Ch'i in Chinese) for Sotaesan provides a more vivid description for the inseparable relation between humans and nature. Ki is originally a Chinese concept meaning vital spiritual energy or the primary undifferentiated material out of which all individual things are formed. According to Chang Tsai (1 022-77), a Chinese Neo-Con-' fucian cosmologist. since all things in the universe are consituted of one and the same Ch'i, humans and alt other things are but parts of one great body.{) Sotaesan also maintains a similar position to this. That is,
The Earth and Heaven are not two but one. The sun, moon. stars, winds, clouds, frosts, and snows; all these are the works of one vital Energy and one Principle.s) All sentient or non-sentient beings are given the element of life. Their lives never become annihilated, but continue changing forms. For example, a human corpse decays underground, making the soir rich. Then the grasses which grow thick around the spot will be made into compost. The compost will grow rich crops, and people eat those crops which supply blood and flesh as the sources of their energy for actions and life. From this point of view, nothing in the universe perishes forever, and even a straw can manifest thousands of changes and capabilities tlrrough its changing forms. Therefore, you disciples, study this principlesincerely,and becom'e enlightened to the Truth that all things enjoy endless lives in the 4) Fung Yn-lan, A short History of chinese Philosophyred. Derk Bodde (New. York I The Free Press, 1948), p. 279
5) SW . 226.
Truth of No Birth and No Death.6)
The quotation above implies that all beings in the universe are constituted of one and the same substance, called Ki. Although their forms change infinitely, their substance or energy itself never perishes. ') However, Ki is not just a cold material energy as understood in modern physics. lt is a vital and spiritual energy without which we cannot move even an inch. The relation between Ki and spirit is very subtle and they are actually inseparable from each other.s) On the other hand, modern thinkers (especially the Western) influenced by modern science had a strong tendency to view matter and spirit as two separable things. Thus people usually thought that nature or environmentconsistsof just matter, and only human beings are spiritual. Therefore. they took it for granted that they rule over nature and took advantage from it. This is a significant reason why the environment was badly ruined in modern times. However, for Sotaesan, nature is not just matter; the whole of nature is animated, thus it responds to people as if it has a spirit. Therefore, if humans treat nature well, nature also treats humans well, and if humans treat it badly. it also treats humans badly. This causal relation between humans and nature through Ki becomes the grounds of environmental ethics for Sotaesan. Then, isn't this Sotaesan view of nature a kind of dnirnism or fetishism? Here we come to face a serious religious question. This wil! be discussed in the next section.
I[. All
beings are Buddhas.
Buddhists traditionally enshrined Buddha-statues in their temples and venerated them. However, Sotaesan replaced the Buddha-statue with a circular figure called ll-Won-Sang, and teaches that it symbolizes the Ultimate Reality. ll-Won (literally meaning "One Circle").sr Ac6) SW, p. 286. 7) This reminds us of the Law of Conservation of Energy in modern physics : "Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it may be transformed from ono form to another, but the total amount of energy never changes.8) According to Chongsan, the successor of Sotaesan, Ki and spirit embraco each other. The major element for animabis spirit while for plantsit is Ki but Ki and spirit are actually inseparable from each other, Chongsan-jongsa bo 5 : 13-15.
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cording to him, ll-Won is the Origin of all beings. the Mind-seal of all Buddhas and saints, and the Original Nature of all sentient beings.ro) As the ultimate object of worship. ll-Won has a both transcendentat and immanent nature. but the general nature of ll-Won is quite pan-theistic (or pan-buddhistic). Sotaesan states : ...11-Won-Sang is composed of the Four Graces,,,) and the Four Graces comprise all beings in the universe. All things that we see in the universe are nothing but Buddhas. Therefore, at all times and in all places we must be very respectful and cautious toward all things. keeping a pure mind and a pious manner as if we were before the real Buddha. You are also to try to practice offering Worship to Buddha directly in all things with which you are involved, thereby creating blessedness and happiness in your actual life.12)
Here. some may suspect that the worship of ll-Won is almost like a form of animism or fetishism. However, in Buddhism, the term "Buddha" has various meanings such as an actual enlightened persori, an
abstract universal nature, the Absolute, etc. The intention of
Sotaesan's pan-buddhistic teaching above is to make people regard atl beings as the manifestation of Truth or Dharmakaya-Buddha.t3)ln other words, realizing the infallible causal relation between all beings and humans, (as we saw above in the causal retation between humans and nature) one should be cautious and pious in dealing with everything as if it is the (personal) Buddha. So to say, it is like the attitude of a pious Christian who sees the touch of God in all beings. thus becoming pious and respectful in dealing with them, Sotaesan succinctly summarizes the essence of this pan-buddhistic faith through the slogan "Cho cho bulsang. Sasa-bulgong," which means "All are (tne manifestation of
Dharmakaya) Buddha. Do each thing as an offering of Worship to the Buddha"
The spirit of Cho cho-bulsang and Sasa-bulgong can be directly applied to the present environmental issue. That is, if human beings treat nature (environment) as a Buddha, they cannot treat nature carelessly as they do. Nature, although it is non-personal, has the power to bless or punish human beings through the Causal Law of Retribution. Therefore, we humans may not need to worship nature as a god or spiritua! being, but we should be afraid of the infallible causal law between nature and us. The environmental problems in modern times were caused due to our ignorance of this causal law or our negligence to pay respect to nature as Buddha. IV. The Balance of Material Culture and Spiritual Culture.
lf we should regard nature as Buddha. should we not make use of it, preserving nature as a sacred thing? lf material culture devastated our environment, should we stop the development of material culture and return to the primitive society 7 All these are quite naive ideas. We cannot flow our history backward and we cannot but make use of nature for our living. Regarding nature as Buddha does not mean that we actually "worship" nature as a sacred thing. Nature itself is neither sacred nor profane; what should be sacred is our mind or our attitude toward nature. For Sotaesan, the fundamenta! cause of our environmental problems is not the material culture itself, but the human mind which cannot control the material culture in the proper way. Material culture itself is neither good nor bad; if we make use of it well it becomes useful. but if we abuse it, it becomes harmful to us. Therefore, we do not have to deny the positive value of material culture, Regarding this, Sotaesan maintains
9) ln the Scripture of Won Buddhism, the distinction between ll-Won and ll. Won-Sang is not clear'they are virtually interchangeable.
10) SW, p. a. 1 1) The Four Graces are the Grace of Heaven and Earth, the Grace of Parents, the Grace of Brethren. and the Grace of Law. 12) sw, p. 101 13) According to the Trikaya doctrine of Buddhism, Dharmakay (Truth-body) means the Buddha as the Absolute or Ultimate Reality; Nirmanakaya (lncarnated-body) means by historical Buddha such as Gautama Buddha; and Sambhogakaya (Bliss-body) indicates the glorious or god-like Buddha such as Amita Buddha. Sotaesan's ll-Won Corresponds to Dharmakaya-Buddha.
I
The perfect world, in which the spiritual and physical life are well-integrated, will be constructed when, inwardly, moral study develops through the progress of spiritua! civilization, and when. outwardly, science develops through the progress of material civilization. However, if we continue as now to be prejudiced in putting emphasis only on materialism and ignore the importance of spiritual cultivation, we will be like a careless child playing with a sword, being exposed to the threat of constant danger. ln other
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words, the world which emphasizes only materialism may be likened to a cripple whose spiritual condition is perfect but who has an ailing body. How can a one-sided world be called perfect? Therefore, when the development of the inward spiritual civilization can keep pace with the outward material civilization. perfect peace and tranquility will be brought forth in this world. '')
ln fact, the moderns, although they boasted of their material achievement, became the slaves of materialism. As Sotaesan states, the moderns are like children with arms who do not know how to use them rightly. Environmental problems are actually the product of such immature human beings with highly developed techniques. Therefore. we have to blame our immature mentality first rather than blaming the material culture. For Sotaesan, one of the most important roles of religion in modern times is to cultivate humans' true mind and strengthen them spiritually so that they may become true masters of their material civilization. This is why Sotaesan founded a new religious order, Won Buddhism, asserting "As material civilization develops, cuttivate spiritual civilization accordiflgly. "tsr Y
. Conclusion
Conclusively speaking, Sotaesan found a cause of our environmental problems in the developed material culture, but his treatment for this problem is fundamentally spiritual. To sum up his perpective on the environmental issue l Sotaesan perceives the causal relation between human and nature through the concept of Grace (Un) and Vital Energy (Ki). His teaching of Cho cho-bulsang and Sasa-bulgong also implies the causal relation between human and nature. That is, if humans treat nature well, nature will also treat humans well, but if humans treat nature badly. so does nature to humans. Environmental problems are created by humans ignorance of the grace of nature and the causal relationshlp between humans and nature. Therefore, only through realizing right relationship between humans and nature. Therefore, only through realizing right relations between humans and nature. and by treating na14) SW, p.121 1s)
The f ounding motto of won Buddhism asserted by sotaesan himself
.
ture as Buddha, can humans solve their environmental problems fundamentally. However. this does not mean that humans should give up developing their material culture and worship nature as a sacred thing. Sotaesan rather advocates we maintain the balance of material and spirituat culture by cultivating human spiritually so that we moY enjoy our perfect civilization.
The Great Master said, "True Buddhism will become one of the major religions practiced in the world. ln the future, however, Buddhism should not be the same system as that of the old Buddhism, but should be practiced by scholars and officials. farmers. artisans and merchants. lt should be a Buddhism not only for monks. but for all laity. As for the way of worshipping the Buddha, we should not regard a Buddha image as a real Buddha, but we should'know that all things in the universe are Buddhas and everything we are doing is the practice .of Buddha' Dharma. When we do ordinary things faithfully. we are practicing Buddha Dharma faithf ully. The one who studies Buddha Dharma successfully can accomplish worldly affairs as well. As to the way of offering worship to Buddha, there is no par,ticular Dharma Hall or Buddha irnage for offering worship to the Buddha. Every place is to be our Dharrna Hall and everthing is to be our Buddha image for offering worship to the Buddha. Then. we will be living in Dharma Halls and surrounded by Buddhas, and, at the same time, the benefactions of Buddha will spread over the whole universe, making this world an unimaginably blessed Buddhist paradise. My disciples, you are fortunate enough to have an opportunity which rarely comes to one, that is, to become one of the initiators of this new religious Order. Do not think that my words are groundless. even though they are not proved at present. They will be proved in the near futurO." From "lntroduction" of The Scripture
of
Won Buddhism
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NEWS CORNER 1. The Missionary Works of Won Buddhism Becoming Brisk in China With the establishment of a diplomatic tie between Korea and China, Won Buddhism is ready to make a start on its missionary works in China. on August 16, 1992, Minister ln-Chol Kim, the director of Won Buddhist Administration. already visited Yeongil City. bordering on North Korea, where most residents are overseas Koreans. ln preparatlon of the unification of two Koreans. the northern city in China is expected to play a vital role as a foremost missionary base. A special Dharma service praying for the full-fledged missionary works in China and the unification of Korea was held on August 20, 1992 on the top of Mt. Paekdoo. the spiritual mountain of the Korean people.
2. Dedication services Held in overseas won Buddhist Temples To begin with the dedication ceremony at Sydney Won Buddhist Temple in Australia, overseas activities of Won Buddhism were accelerated. The Foundation of Won Buddhism in Sydney was authorized by the state government on December 10, 1991. Another dedicating dharma service in the United States in San Diego, Orange County. and Velley, were also held, July 25-26, 1992, respectively.
won Buddhism to Get a Regular Membership in the NGos of uN Won Buddhism joined the Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs)of UN as a regular member. NGOs allowed Won Buddhism fult membership in a screening committee on July 28, 1992. Won Buddhism is now entitled to send the delegates of Won Buddhism to take part in the 3.
religious leaders from 11 religions or religious sects of Korea and 7 of Russia were participant in the meetings. Seoul was decided as the place of the second meeting. For the promotion of understanding the two countries and protection of Korean residents in flussia the Moscow Declaration was adopted in the conference. 6. The Ceremony of Ordination of Won Buddhist Ministers
73 new Won Buddhist ministers, who finished the required course for five years, was ordained at Won Buddhist Headquarters in lri, December 8, 1992(the 77lh Won Buddhist Year). They pronounced a vow to the Dharmakaya ll Won Sang to devote themselves to missionary works of Won Buddhism for life. 7. The 8th Vowing Ceremony of Chaste Women and Men Held
The vowing ceremony of Chaste Women and Men(unmarried Won Buddt'iist ministers) was hetd at Won Buddhist Headquarters on November 8, 1992. The sixty one ministers swore before the Dharmakaya ll Won Sang that they would not be influenced by any earthly desire and dedicate themselves only to the transmission of the Law of the Great Master, the founder of Won Buddhism. 8. The 5th Korean Philosophers' Meeting
Under the title of the Modern Moral Situation and the Philosophical Response, the 5th Korean Philosophers' Meeting was held at Soongsan Memorial Hall of Wonkwang University, lri, October 23-25, :1992. ln presentations and the meeting, divided into 9 sections, a variety
of
discussions about modern moral sense and its situation were actively made in both eastern and western philosophical aspects.
various meetings held in UN.
in the 18th WFB ln commemoration of the 41st founding anniversary, the 18th World Fellowship of Buddhists was held with a large attendance of about 570 Buddhist leaders from 50 regional centers across the world from October 27 to Nov.3. -1992 in Taipei and Kaoshiung, Taiwan. The eight delegates of Won Buddhist Regional Center took part in the meeting. 9. Won Buddhism Participated
4. Won Buddhist Foundation
in Moscow Admitted The establishment of Won Buddhist Foundation was authorized by the Russian government on October 30. 1992. Three ministers of Won Buddhism were already sent to Moscow to set up a Won Buddhist templeand a Korean School there.
First Korean-Russian Meeting of Religionists Held in Moscow. The first Korean-Russian meeting of religionists of the two countries was held for two days, September 18-1 g, 1 gg2, in Moscow. 163 5. Ttre
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A Notice from Chairperson of WCRP/ACRP Women's Wing
letter from a Dharma Friend of U. S. to the Prime Master Daesan of Won Buddhism
Mrs. Rehana Anees, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan Chapter of the Women's Wing kindly reported her activities here. Although the news of still continuing conflicts and civil wars in some regions make our mind gloomy, peaceful activities being vigorously carried on in the greater parts of the world are brightening people's mind. Mrs. Anees' case of the Pakistan Chapter is a good example of them. REPORT
wrote this letter to Master Daesan on January 24 1 993. now lives in Miami, Florida, U. S. Won My ung Do. who
He said he was very impressed bY The Great Master's teachings written in the Scripture of Won Buddhism.
:
-.....The ACRP Women's Wing Pakistan is very greatful to you to have mentioned the workings of Pakistan Chapter in your Won Buddhist periodical. I read the newsletter report to my members and they were very much loved and encouraged by the appreciation bestowed to them by their chairperson. We had a very busy schedule contacting schools to cooperate with us and 160 students of different schools of Karachi participating in this programme and 600 eminent guests parents and teachers attending the function. Others were presented by school children in which they emphasized on the prime need of Unity and brotherhood among people. Little children dressed -Peace-Love up in national dresses of different countries represented the different chapters of WCRP. The children took great applause from the audience. 28th of Nov. 1992 was a colorful evening, every child had the Banner of Peace in their hands and they danced and sang songs on the theme of "Peace.- The message given to the guests, parents and teachers by the programme incharge Rehana Anees was l Let there be Peace on Earth and Let it begin with in our hearts We are all born for love and It is the only principle of existence""" ......Rehana Anees
I am so happy to often hear about Pakistan chapter's activities from you. Peace on you and your country PKC
Dear Master Taesan
l
I have been a member of Won Buddhism of Miami since September. 1 988 when I first met Dr. Bongkil Chung. I have read most of Dr. Chung's translations of the Won Buddhist scriptures but the two that have the most profound effect on me are "The Vow to ll Won Sang" written by Master Sotaesan and "The Gist of Wonsang" which you wrote. lbecome very inspired when lread "T'he Gist of Wonsang." To me it is profound. I can imagine your daybreaking enlightenment which, despite your illness you just had to try to express in words even though you knew it was almost futile to do so. I am grateful that you did as when I read your marvellous work, I am filled with inspiration and a determination to experience that which cannot be gained or lost. That jewel which we always have .but which becomes covered up and hidden because of the ihree evil roots. America is a wonderful country to live in but it can also be a very sad country. Despite our economic strength we are plagued by homeless men, women and children. They live on the streets, eating whatever they find. We Americans somehow live among them and do not feel remorse or sympathrT for them. We simply look the other way. We will not help them because we feel we are better than they are. lf only we could realize the hidden jewel within ourselves we would see that there is no difference between them and us. That the only thing that separates us from them is karma and that one day we too might have the same' types of karmic bonds which keep them on the streets. We Americans are so engulfed in the process of living that we prize possessions more than life itself. We work to accumulate things and we are caught in the vicious cycle of life brought on by the three evil roots of greed, hatred and delusions. We need to read the sayings
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of the great masters like yourself. lt lifts us up out of the bitter seas of misery and helps us transform ourselves. I wanted to take the o.pportunity that the new year presented to thank you for sharing your anuttara-samyak-sambodhi by writing this wondrous work. t never tire of reading it. I pray that your health is maintained and I hope that I have sufficiently good karma so that one day soon I can meet you in person. vow to continue to develop my practice until I can get even a glimpse of what you wrote about in "The Gist of Wonsang. " I
Thank you and have a Good year.
Won Mun Do
The Prime Master Daesan of Won Buddhism grasped the hand:; ol l)r Bill V,endley, the Secretary General of WCRP, who called on tJto l'turto Master at Wangung, lri, July 5, 1 992.
The delegates of Won Buddhism taking part in the 1 8th WFB meettnll posed for camera. Taipei. Taiwan. october 28, 1992.
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A Won Buddhist minister is giving dharma words to the followers in commemoration of dedication ceremony of San Diego Won Buddhist
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a four-day trarning at the choonqdt Training center of won Buddhism, April 15-18. 1992. lri, Korea. The religious leaders from overseas took
Temple, U. S.. July 25,1992.
The delegates of the first Korean-Russian Religionists' Meeting, Moscow. September 19, 1992.
The children participating in the peace programm of Pakistan Chapter stood on the stage. dressed up in national dresses of different chapters of WCRP.