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WON BUDDHISM
WON BUDDHISM
rabbits or squirrels. 4. As the Five Desires usually arise from our physical body, we must always try to reflect on the state where both the mind and the body are originally void. Continual practice to keep this state of mind is most important. Attachment
to
Attachment means becoming stuek on some person or object, may divide the state of attachment into three parts:
exce'ss. We
love, covetousness, and grudges. 1. The attachment of love is attantrment to any object such as a man or woman, p'a/rents or children, a job, or some special object. It is the sta,te of mind where one is inextricably involved with this person or object. They thi,nk it is all they have in their life. 2. The attachment of covetousness means the state of the particularly excessive desire for money, property, and other precious treasures. It is the state of being enslaved by this avarice. 3. The attachment of grudges meons the state of mind which is not free from hatred and grudges against any particular person or thing. The way to eradicate attachments. 1. First of all we must cle,arly realize that we are neither able to see all beings as they really are, nor are able to acquire the freedom from life and death, a"s Iong as these attachments darken our minds. 2. We must experience the transiency of the physical world, while believing i,n the endless cycle of Cause and Effect. 3. By refleeting on the original state of mind where no l,ove, hate, discrimination between self and others, or attaehment exists, we must try to dissolve all kinds of attachments.
A Morni,, ;,,;"
; *. ,;dquarters or
Won Buddhism
by Nah Tao-Kook Stars are still glittering over the sky before dawn. ,The washed half-moon is setting in the west. All things in the universe are still
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asleep, being surrounded only
by
It is 4:30 in the morning.
quietness.
Gong, BonB, the great bell begins striking to wake up all sentient beings who are still in deep sleep. After thirty-three strokes the trailing note of the gong gradually fades away. Hearing the first stroke of the gohg, a Won Buddhist devotee, Miss Kim, inhales a deep breath and exhales it, gets out of her bed, and opens the doors wide. The cool air of the early morning bathes her body. She feels refreshed. From now, the morning practice of Devotee Kim begins. Three minutes after the last str,oke of the gong fades, the premises of the Headquarters of Won Buddhism is once again filled with the sound of the beating of wooden fish, a rhythmic device used wh,en chanting sutras. Hearing this sound, Devotee Kim halts wherever she may be and faces the 'sacred Everlasting Memorial Building' where The Great Master is worshipped and all Won Buddhist devotees are revered. She folds her hands quietly and star"ts her 'Inward Confessi,on' with the utmost sincerity, ,so that not the slightest falseness nor evil thought will enter her mind. "All Divine Dharma Buddha, the Four Graces I I pray and confess. May you give all sentient beings a chance to be saved by your gr,a,ce. May all Buddhist discipl,es attain Enlightenment. May all of us have your almighty power so that we m,ay requite the graces we receive and may keep a spiri,t of gr,atefulness in our everyday life. May you respond to my confessio,n." She deeply worships inwardly the Buddhas and masters of the p'ast, the present, and the future, as well as the parents and ancestors of a^ll ages. She shows her dedicated worship through deep bows to the sound of the wooden fish. The worship and vows of a Buddhist di'sciple are sublime and devout. After her 'Inward Confession' Devotee Kim goes to the 'EnIightenment Hall' to practice 'sitting-type meditation.' In the 'EnIightenment Hall' more than 200 devotees are practicing meditation in order to have their original, pure, clear, bright, and unprejudiced nature mind restored. Facing the directio,n of the alter in the hall where Il-Won-S&ilg, the Dharma-kaya Buddha, is worshipped, Devotee Kim sits on her cushion. She makes her back and neck straight, focusing all her physical power on a spot under her abdomen. Superfluous thoughts attack her. She is, however, successful in keeping her original nature every morning. She checks herself from time to time lest she should become unaware of her original nature.
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