Living and Dying (Not Such a Small Thing)

Living and Dying

I started practicing Zen in the nineteen eighties and learned much from my teachers during these early years. Consequently, as I progressed with daily practice, I can remember a few specific instances that occurred in the early nineteen nineties that changed my opinion and set the course for the rest of my life. One of my close mentors in those days was a Senior Dharma Teacher named Bridget Duff. She had started practicing with Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1972 in the very early days in Los Angeles. Prior to meeting Seung Sahn, Bridget had spent some time also studying with Jidu Krishnamurti and experienced some very transformational life changing events. Bridget was one of the original members of the Los Angeles group and was close to Seung Sahn for the rest of his life.

Bridget is the daughter of two rather famous (or infamous) parents of the nineteen fifty Hollywood scene. Her mother was Ida Lupino and her father was Howard Duff. Her mother was considered the most powerful woman in Hollywood next to Lucille Ball in the late fifties. Bridget grew up as neighbors of the Ronald Reagan’s and her best friend growing up was Patti Davis (Reagan) who was the same age as Bridgette.

In August of 1995, Bridgette had told me that her mother was dying. I had never heard much from her about her relationship with her mom or what was going on between them. Over the next few weeks she told me that her mother had really alienated her relationship and wanted nothing to do with her daughter. However, due to her advanced colon cancer, she had reconciled with Bridgette and they got to try to reconcile about twenty years of problems over the course of two weeks.

Sometime, about a month later, I was in Reno, Nevada where I had arranged a retreat with Zen Master Bonsoeng (Jeff Kitzes), and a group of students who had been studying with Eido Roshi. I had been practicing with this group as my job had me in Reno at least three or four days a week at that time. I had brought up four of the residents of the Ocean Eyes Zen Center with me to attend this retreat and support the local Reno Sangha. During this retreat Jeff gave a Dharma talk which discussed his alienation with his father when he decided to follow the Buddhist path.

Bonsoeng was brought up as a Jewish child in California and his father had hoped that he would follow in a banking or business path and support his father’s sense of family values. Bonsoeng grew up in the late sixties Berkeley environment and decided that Psychology and Buddhism was a much better path for him. Bonsoeng said that his father never forgave him for this. He then relayed that follow diagnosis of a terminal illness, his father was given only a few months to live. Bonsoeng said that he decided to transfer his clients and spent as much time as he could in his father’s last days. Jeff said that the closeness and openness that his father expressed were moving and allowed the two of them to reconcile lifelong differences.

Following these two experiences, I looked at my own life and came to some deep realizations. I realized that I was very distant in relationship with both my father and my mother and decided that I didn't want to wait until a few weeks or months before their deaths to have a good relationship with them. I took to heart the teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn and applied his teaching of correct situation, correct relationship and correct function. I was distant from my parents and we were not very affectionate nor did we communicate on a very regular basis.

I wrote a very detailed letter to my mother following these two experiences discussing our differences and seeming distance. I told her that she might be uncomfortable but I was going to be a good son, I was going to start hugging her (this had never happened before) and I was going to kiss her (this too) and tell her that I love her (this was a big deal for me so I decided to take the lead.) She responded well to my letter and from this our relationship began to grow and bear fruit.

We grew stronger in our relationship and I was firm on celebrating all the major holidays with my parents and my family. We had great celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas etc. every year without fail, this was my commitment to my family. My mother was diagnosed with spinal cancer in 2002 and took her life in 2003. I was with her holding her hand when she took her last breath. I can also say that there was nothing left unsaid between the two of us. We had the eight years to sort everything out about our relationship and our history.

I was worried about my father when my mother died and thought he would take a turn and just give up. He didn't and we became close friends and spent some tremendous time together. He became frail a few years later and I spent as much time as I could with him, sometimes months at a time. He lived in the Bay Area and I was living in Los Angeles. I got five years of great time learning and exploring with my father before he finally succumbed to emphysema. I was also blessed to be holding his hand during the final moments, as I had with my mom.

So, what does all this mean? I studied many teachers and psychologists and looked for insight where I could find it during these years. I found great direction with the Zen Hospice Project and the teachings should be looked at as precepts for living and not precepts for dealing with dying people. Please take these points to heart. We have a very short time on this planet; we can only make changes in the present, so please follow these precepts to allow your lives to flower.

Five Regrets of dying people

1. We wish we hadn’t made decisions based on what other people think

When we make your decisions based on other people’s opinions, two things tend to happen. We make a poor career choice. There are too many of us out there who studied for a degree we regret or even spend our lives pursuing a career we regret. Whether we are seeking parental approval or pursuing pay and prestige over passion, making a poor career choice is a decision that will live with us forever.

We fail to uphold our morals. When we get too caught up in what our boss thinks of us, how much money we think our spouse needs to be happy, or how bad we will look if we fail, we are at high risk of violating our own morals. Our intense desire to make ourselves look good compromises our ability to stay true to ourselves and, ultimately, to feel equanimity.

Laozi said, “If we seek for the approval of others, we become their prisoner.” The best way to avoid falling prey to the opinions of others is to realize that other people’s opinions are just that — opinions. Regardless of how great or terrible they think we are, that’s only their opinion. Our true self-worth comes from within.

2. We wish we hadn’t worked so hard

Working hard is a great way to impact the world, to learn, to grow, to feel accomplished, and sometimes even to find happiness, and this becomes a problem when we do so at the expense of the people closest to us. Ironically, we often work hard to make money for the people we care about without realizing that they value our company more than money.

The key is to find a balance between doing what we love and being with the people we love. Otherwise we will look back one day and wish we had focused more on the latter.

3. We wish we had expressed their feelings openly

We are taught as children that emotions are dangerous and that they must be bottled up and controlled. This usually works at first, and boxing up our feelings causes them to grow until they erupt. The best thing we can do is to put our feelings directly on the table. Though it’s painful to initiate, this forces us to be honest and transparent with ourselves and others.

For example, if we feel as though we don’t make enough money at work, schedule a meeting with our boss and propose why we think we are worth more. As a result, they will either agree with us and give us a raise or disagree and tell us what you do need to do to become more valuable. On the other hand, if we do nothing and let our feelings fester, this will hinder our performance and prevent us from reaching your goal.

4. We wish we had stayed in touch with our friends

When we get caught up in our weekly routine, it’s easy to lose sight of how important people are to you, especially those we have to make time for. Relationships with old friends are among the first things to fall off the table when we’re busy. This is unfortunate because spending time with friends is a major stress buster. Close friends bring us energy, fresh perspectives, and a sense of belonging, in a way that no one else can.

5. We wish we had allowed ourselves be happy

When our life is about to end, all the difficulties we have faced suddenly become trivial compared to the good times. This is because we realize that, more often than not, suffering is a choice. Unfortunately, most of us realize this far too late.

Although we all inevitably experience pain, how we react to our pain is completely under our control, as is our ability to experience joy. Learning to laugh, smile, and be happy (especially when stressed) is a challenge at times, but it’s one that’s worth every ounce of effort.

Bringing it all together

Some decisions have repercussions that can last a lifetime. Most of these decisions are made daily, and they require focus and perspective to keep them from haunting us.

Five precepts for living:

Welcome everything, push away nothing.

My first Zen teacher Seung Sahn Dae Jong Sa was quite fond of saying, “Put it all down,” which was his way of saying “welcome everything, push away nothing.” In Zen, we also say things like; “live in the moment” or “be mindful.” Pema Chödron, who is a teaching lineage holder of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, says it from the opposite perspective, “Abandon all hope.” This means to give up our ideas that things will change other than what they are. Abandon the idea that the outcome of a given situation is other than what it is, right now. Face this life with full awareness. Suzuki Rōshi once said something to the effect of: “it’s like going to a restaurant for lunch, and when your lunch is served you say to yourself, ‘I shouldn't have come to this restaurant, I should have gone to some other restaurant. This restaurant is not so good.’ The truth of this situation is that we can only be here now. I still have a little card my first psychology professor gave me from a class on “transactional analysis” I took in 1980 which says, “Even if you don’t like the way it is, it still is the way it is.”

Bring your whole self to the experience.

This means to live our lives with our whole bodies and souls. To be completely present and to pay attention to ourselves as much as we pay attention to others. We have to feel ourselves in each situation, feel our own tension, our own fear, our own apprehension. We need to love ourselves in each moment, especially in times of stress and anxiety. If we pay attention to our inner self we can relax into the moment and it will be easier to be present.

Don’t wait.

Waiting implies something is going to happen by itself. It also implies that perhaps it can be done in the future. The reality that Buddha taught was that the only moment we have is now. Krishnamurti, who was one of the greatest sage’s of the twentieth century, talked a lot about this point. He said, “We delude ourselves in thinking that we can change some behavior in the future. It is through our discursive thinking that change can happen in the future. The only moment we have to change anything is now.”

Find the place of rest, in the middle of things.

This means that we must find that place of calm in the middle of the storm. The storm of our lives, the storm of work, the storm of getting our kids ready for school, the storm of someone who is close to us that is dying. It means that within each activity we can find a place of peace and then we can see the truth for what it is.

Cultivate don’t know mind.

Suzuki Roshi called this beginners mind. In the mind of the beginner possibilities are endless, in the mind of the expert, possibilities are few. An ancient once said, “Not knowing is most intimate.” This is being here without expectation or idea. This is our essential practice.

Come together, right now, and overcome.

This country is galvanized today, and some feel as if they are in a state of shock, while others feel a sense of privilege and bravado. This is not the time to wallow in “why me,” or “why us.”  Blaming others because they voted for the opposition, or didn’t vote for your candidate doesn’t help. Nor does insulting others because of their beliefs, just because you feel somehow cheated or angry. The time for stumbling around with should have, could have, or would have are over. We must focus our attention on this very moment and not some future boogeyman or demon. All of these previously mentioned emotions are what more than half this country stood up against: bigotry, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, and the litany of other issues we stood against. Instead of dwelling on negative feelings, emotions, and actions, we must find a way to channel this energy into actions that can bring real change at a local level.

A simple fact which may be overlooked by many is that 53% of the turnout of voters did not vote for the President-elect; also, the Democratic Candidate actually won more votes than the President-elect. It is a time for solidarity and coming together in our communities, and our tribes, in our families, and our religious affiliations, and stand united to support one another whatever may come. We, as individuals have not lost anything (yet). It is not a time for speculation or fear mongering, it is a time to unite and get closer to our sisters and our brothers who may be affected in the future by previously stated political rhetoric. There is already too much hatred in this country, we don’t need to add to it. I feel this is a time for a real assessment of who and what each of are made of; as well as, what we are, and are not willing to tolerate, and make a commitment. This commitment, first and foremost, must be with ourselves; secondly, we must make a commitment to our individual communities to stand and act with them in both the good times and the bad. However, this action should not be based upon our imaginings or fears, our actions should be directed to real and tangible actions against any type threat that may appear in the future. Furthermore, we must remember the teachings of Ahimsā, or non-violence, which is found in the teachings of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism; as well as the successful strategies of social change begun by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 20th Century.

Let us not forget that the president's power is limited by a system of checks and balances written into the United States Constitution. The legislative and judicial branches have specific powers to deny or impede the executive branch's actions.

The system of checks and balances was added to the Constitution so that no one branch of government would grow too powerful. The framers of the Constitution saw the complete power that the British monarch had over his country and designed American government to prevent this situation from reoccurring.

Realize that right now it is estimated that the Senate will be composed of 48 Democrats and 52 Republicans. Furthermore, Bills can pass through the Congress with a simple majority vote of 218 votes and currently there are 239 Republican Congressional members, so it looks like there is little hope for Congress helping us. 

Under the current rules of the Senate–which can be altered by a majority vote–it takes 60 votes to proceed to a vote on a bill when some of the sitting senators want to continue debate forever, or filibuster. It has not traditionally been the custom that every bill gets a filibuster and so requires 60 votes in order to pass; plenty of bills in the past have passed the Senate with fewer than 60 votes. In recent years, the filibuster has changed from an occasional gambit to a more routine part of the process. Since the Republicans took back the Senate after the 2016 elections, it may become almost a matter of course that a bill opposed by most of the minority party will have to overcome a filibuster in order to pass.

But that doesn’t mean that a bill needs 60 votes to be approved; it means 41 senators can keep a bill from being voted on. The distinction is worth making, particularly since the ability of the minority to obstruct is dependent on the willingness of the majority to be obstructed.

The legislative branch is responsible for budgeting; it can limit the president's actions by stopping the flow of resources. The president must also have approval from Congress before enacting treaties with or declaring war on foreign nations. Although the president has the power to appoint Supreme Court judges, the appointments must be approved by Congress.

In the judicial branch, judges cannot be removed by the president once installed. The courts also have the power of judicial review, which examines actions from the other branches for constitutionality. If an executive action is called into question, the Supreme Court can annul it.

There are many things that the President-Elect has said on the campaign trail and not all of them he can act on. Also, there will be a transition period prior to anything changing significantly. Saying and doing are very different phenomena. We can use this time to gather momentum in our communities and start to build bridges in an attempt to fortify our positions. 

What are we willing to do to be ready? A good situation, is a bad situation, and a bad situation, is a good situation. Meaning that the winners can easily become complacent in their victory; let us therefore, look upon this as an opportunity to come closer together and unify for the common decency of fairness and equality. We also need to come together with all people, regardless of age, economic reality, education, ethnicity, faith history, family structure, gender identity, nationality, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation and life experience. Most importantly let us not become, or take on any of the traits, of that which we fought so strongly to oppose. 

Neon Dharma

Zen in the jaws of the lion

From Vegas Seven Magazine

By Joseph Langdon

December 8th, 2011

Photos by Hamesh Shahani

The MGM lion, that great golden idol of so many earthy desires, long dominated the view from the Zen Center’s old home in an industrial park on Dean Martin Drive. Not your typical ambiance. And yet, when Zen master Seung Sahn paid a visit, the renowned Korean founder of the Kwan Um school declared: “The jaws of the lion is a wonderful place to practice Zen!”

“What he was saying was that Vegas is wonderful because it’s not hiding anything,” says the Zen Center’s abbot, Thom Pastor. “‘Desire mind’—sex, drugs, gambling, alcohol—all of it is right here. There’s no pretense. No trying to hide it or veil it, it just is what it is. [Zen master Seung Sahn] told me, ‘If you can find your center here, then going anywhere is no problem.’”

We talk cross-legged on the floor of the Zen Center’s new digs, pretty little whitewashed buildings with blue trim at Harmon and Eastern avenues. The center moved here in 2009, thanks in part to the collapse in housing prices (call it karma). It has 18 pine trees and a sculpted pool out back (although one of the new waterfalls is on the fritz). Inside, members of the 50-person congregation chant, bow and sit in silent meditation. The room is simple, though not austere, and is dominated by a large golden statue—not the MGM lion, but the Buddha in his serene pose.

Pastor, 65, has a wide grin and a shorn head. His presence is at once avuncular and intimidating. He has a tendency to whack interlocutors on the thigh with a short stick, especially when they’re trying to take accurate notes.

This is Las Vegas’ very own Zen master—and his path to the Buddha goes straight through the heart of Sin City.

In a previous incarnation, Pastor was a master sax player (among 10 other woodwinds). He toured the world with the likes of Humperdinck, Anka and Tom Jones before settling down in 1973 to spend 15 years on the Strip playing behind Frank Sinatra and other headliners as part of the Caesars Palace house orchestra.

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a being who attains enlightenment but decides to stick around here for a while to help out the rest of us bums. Now, I’m not saying Sinatra was one of these guys, but he did help Pastor down the path, in a manner of speaking. Pastor started to explore Zen as an antidote to those swingin’ nights on the Strip, when he was seeking an alternative to the musician’s traditional stress-reliever, the between-show cocktail. And he found that high-stakes musicianship can be good training for Zen.

Case in point: his first rehearsal with Sinatra at the old Circus Maximus. The famously temperamental Chairman of the Board only played with musicians he trusted, so when he noticed a new face in the woodwinds, Sinatra suddenly announced that he’d be conducting the first set of tunes himself. “Frank came and put one foot up on the riser right in front of me and said, ‘OK, fellas, here it is,’ and started conducting,” Pastor says. Sinatra stayed there, looming over him and reading along with his music while he played. After getting through the tricky intro to “I’ve Got the World on a String,” Sinatra passed the baton back to the conductor; the lead alto leaned over to Pastor and said, “Congratulations, you just passed the audition.”

That audition, a one-on-one gut-check with the big guy, is not too unlike the Zen tradition of “dharma combat,” in which the student must respond intuitively, with moment-mind, to challenges posed by the master. In 2002, Pastor survived dharma combat with five Zen masters, the last step in a 20-year process of study, retreats and training to become only one of 40 master dharma teachers worldwide in the Kwan Um School of Zen.

Pastor doesn’t view his new life as a break with his old one—he still finds time to perform in addition to abbot duties here and in centers in Madison, Wis., and Fairbanks, Alaska, and he just cut an album,Sleeping Lions, at the Straight Up Martini Lounge with his jazz outfit, B3 Conspiracy. Besides, Buddhism is about the oneness of all things, and that includes Las Vegans and all its denizens, too. And with times tough and looking to get tougher, a lot of us could do with a dose of the dharma. In a delightfully ironic metaphor, Pastor calls Buddhism the “Rolls-Royce teaching” about how to be happier with less. All you need is “moment-mind—not getting lost in your thinking, but being present in this moment.”

That is the “bone of the teaching” that runs through all forms of Buddhism, and it fits the Vegas experience perfectly. From my new, more enlightened perspective, the Strip looks less like a Buddhist obstacle course and more like a training course. Anyone here can see that nothing is permanent, not a hot streak, nor the city itself. And we are bombarded by reminders that grasping is endless—the promise of this place is that there will always be more to desire. If you are convinced that a jackpot will end your suffering, you will likely depart burdened with bad karma and calls from collection agents. Instead, just open your eyes and take it all in: You’ll probably have a decent time whether you hit blackjack or go bust.

“Gain and loss are just opposites,” Pastor says. “Winning the lottery or losing all your money at the craps table—both have no meaning. The fan above you is whirring. The floor is brown. The Buddha is gold. That’s my teaching to you. No more, no less. If you get caught in gain and loss, then you are a slave to your mind and to all things. If you attain pure mind, then complete freedom is available to you.”

The Zen master falls silent, then chuckles. “Doesn’t help the economy here, though!”

Clear Eyed View on Suffering

Rev. Paul Yuanzhi Lynch, Bruce Ohjok Foley, HJN and Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN in April of 2011

I want to share a letter I recently received from a very close friend. He has lived a checkered path as many of us have. He was a ‘tough guy’ growing up in the back streets of Boston, and eventually became a United States Marine. Following his experience with the military, he returned and decided that a life of contemplation might help his dismal life. He entered a Catholic Carthusian monastery and led a cloistered life for many years.

A longing in his soul caused him to leave this path and to re-enter lay life. He became a Zen Practitioner many years ago and this is where our paths crossed.  I have known him for about fifteen years and we have celebrated successes and failures together. Through it all we have maintained a firm bond on what the essence of life and experience is.

My friend has recently fallen upon hard times, both personally, economically and physically. He has two herniated discs and spends his days lying on the kitchen floor taking all kinds of pain killers just trying to find this moment. We have been discussing this lately, he lost his job, faces eviction, and can’t really function the way he would like. Considering all of this, I would like to share his wonderful insights into ‘true’ practice with everyone. I couldn’t say more clearly, so I will let my friend say it to you.

My Dear Brother Paul,

Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement and acceptance. I will pull through, with your blessing and those of others who I have met to be “altruistic” along the spiritual journey. My material needs will come and go. I have known both near poverty and a taste of being idle, with money to spare. It ebbs and flows. Somehow, the Universe provides and in it all, rich or poor, the Inner Man remains the same, like a rock in a raging river rapids, or shallow slow moving quiet brook. The waters change. The rock stays still. The essential man is untouched by externals. That’s the thing I’ve learned time and again. The litmus test, if you will, of just where we are at, in the spiritual life.

Christ, a Zen Master if there ever was, says as much, in speaking of impermanence and tribulation: “And on that day, you will then come to know, whether you have built your house on rock or sand.” Our inner humanity is best revealed in trial and upheaval. We have all been there. Especially people like us, who have taken the path seriously, no matter what tradition. It is all the same. We know it is easy to cruise into our practice when the bills are paid. When there is some extra cash to travel a bit, eat at some nice restaurants and drink from the golden cup. But..lo..a day may come and it usually does, when the scene shifts and we find ourselves in need. We look around and realize, “Hey, I’m not on top anymore.” (This was not in the brochure!) If this shift rocks us beyond a very human and acceptable concern, then we see that we really have not digested what spiritual detachment truly means. We have not quite got it. These shifts are our teachers.

This is what Christ meant if I can paraphrase Him, “Watch out followers, especially you monks and teachers of the Path, because, some day, a wind will blow and you had better be prepared for a change. You had better be ready to walk the talk, or you will be exposed. You’ll either find yourself standing on the solid ground of all that you have learned in your practice and inner life experiences, or, you’ll come tumbling down in a landslide of sand, only to be blown away like dust because you failed to build your inner life properly.” Here, I suppose, Jesus is also saying, “Don’t be wasting time on stupid shit, because you got a foundation to build on, and it’s one never really quite finished. You can slack off and cruise, and that is O.K., a man needs some rest. However, do not get too comfortable. Do not kid yourself. Keep mixing that mortar and laying those bricks because you never know when that storm will hit.” My point being, I think we can only manage loss and suffering to the degree that we build our inner ground, because ultimately, that is where the storm will come to rip us up. It will challenge our emotional stability. It will challenge our composure in the face of crisis. It will challenge our thought process and reveal, a quiet, strong mind, or, one tossed in every direction. Recently, I took a storm as such. O.K., so I bitched and moaned a bit, but I can also say that the years given to practice built a strong enough foundation of the inner human that I did not topple over like a sand castle. Therefore, it really does pay off to practice. (I know you know this. I am just sitting with my brother reflecting, not preaching.)

My Grandpa, (Died at 96) an old blue blood Yankee, a northern Maine farmer, was a sort of Zen master. You know the type. Wise, quiet and strong, one of those old-timers that are better listeners than talkers, but when they spoke, Boom! Their words hit you like a thunderbolt. I am still learning, all the time. All the time a beginner. I am learning to not only listen again, as a good monk should, but also to see that if I do not let go of needing and wanting to control it all, I suffer even more. If you grab the Tigers tail, he will take you for a ride, or worse, turn around and rip you up. It is nothing new, non-clinging. Detachment. No holding. No desire to control. Its like, “I see you Old Man Suffering, you cunning bastard, but guess what? I am not your boy. I am not buying it today, or tomorrow. Take it somewhere else. You’d love to see me take your hand and walk with you, see me come undone, but see, I got this secret inside me, the Pearl of Great Price-years of Practice that tell me you are a fraud and when you’ve had enough of your attempts to make me miserable, mean and nasty, you’ll leave me alone. You’ll leave because I never took hold of your hand in the first place.”

So, what do we do with our suffering? Where does it really come from? Who asks me to hold onto it? In addition, who says it is permanent? Ahh, I hear Paul saying: “Don’t make anything. Do not check. Don’t hold.” Yes, Pop Sa Nim, many bows..

I am not in the market. I am not buying. I am going to a place I know well. A place where it’s warm, welcoming and where the winds can blow all they want, but the walls will stand, the foundation is laid strong.

This morning, I saw wind and rain outside my window and dark clouds hover above me. Tonight, the sky is wide and clear. The stars shine brightly in midnight blue. A gentle breeze strokes my face and my cat, Master Zhaozhou yawns, rolls over to sleep. I slip in beside him gently, and together, we know, just this.

My love and peace is yours Paul,

Oh Jok, Haeng Ja Nim 

Documentary: Zen Furnace

This is well produced video on transplanting Zen in rural America. Zen Furnace examines a group of Zen Buddhists in rural Eastern Kentucky. Hidden away inside the mountains is the Furnace Mountain Zen Retreat Center. Led by Zen Master Dae Gak. The retreat center and the Zen Buddhists have lived peacefully in the Appalachian mountains for 25 years now. After 25 years locals of the region still have many doubts and thoughts of what occurs on the mountain.

Buddhist Choir

This is a very interesting Video as I have never seen a Buddhist Choir before. The lyrics are written by Seon Master Dae Haeng who is the spiritual head and founder of all HanMaUm Seon (Zen) Centers of the Chogye Order of Korean Buddhism worldwide.


So, I thought I'd share it with everyone. Changing, changing, changing, is the way of the world.

Doban (friends on the path)

The great reformer of Modern Korean Buddhism was Seon Master Gyeongheo Seongu (鏡虛惺牛)

What is the purpose of our practice?
It is to cultivate meditation and wisdom together,
To be born in the Tushita Heaven together,
To attain true enlightenment life after life together,
As fellow practitioners who will help those who lag behind
When someone attains enlightenment ahead of the others,
And, most of all, not to forsake our noble resolution
If anyone is interested in our resolution and wishes to join us,
We will welcome them,
whether they be a monk or a lay person,
Whether one is male or female,
Whether one is old or young,
Whether one is wise or foolish,
Whether one is noble or mean,
Whether one is friendly or aloof,
Whether one is in accord with us or against us,
Whether one is away from us or near us,
Whether one is our senior or junior.

We are all innate Buddhas with countless virtues within.
The only difference among us is that
Some did not have the chance to receive teachings
From a great enlightened Master for eons so as to be free
From the Three Spheres of Life in this realm of birth and death.

Buddhist Geeks and Sweeping Zen

Richard Maurice Bucke
(18 March 1837 – 19 February 1902) from Wikipedia

Over on Zen Forum International one of the moderators, Seigen, asked the following question.

Buddhist Geeks has a project that is very different than, for example, Adam Tebbe, also a young man who began his own website, Sweeping Zen, in the year after Buddhist Geeks began. Where Sweeping Zen will focus on interviews with teachers and topics that are very close to what might be understood as formal practice, Buddhist Geeks spreads the net outwards towards technology and culture, and is directly engaged with an economic imagination that it believes to be transforming. It is a self-described for-benefit community.

What do you think of the difference between these two websites, as models of practice? As statements of where things stand today in the dialogue between elders and youth? Is Buddhist Geeks something that you check in to regularly, or is it of no interest? What have you gravitated towards there? And so on..

The following is my reply.

It seems that perhaps this topic has gotten a bit side tracked so I'd like to address the original question posed by Seigen. I attended all three days of the Buddhist Geeks conference and I happen to know Adam Tebbe, who founded Sweeping Zen, personally. I met Adam through some prompting by James Ford Roshi back in 2008 and have followed his progress since that time. Also, a few of my students have been interviewed on Buddhist Geeks and at least one has been involved with some of the founders.

I must say that normally I wouldn't have attended the Conference; however, I was in between consulting jobs and it was being held only 25 minutes from my house so I figured why not. I enjoyed the experience, I met many people that I know indirectly by reputation, and have struck up a few new friendships.

I suppose on the surface one might view Buddhist Geeks as being more directed to a younger and perhaps more technologically savvy audience. Yet, I think the biggest divide between the two approaches are defined more by the communities they represent. Sweeping Zen is only involved with Zen Mahayana Buddhism; whereas, Buddhist Geeks is a conglomeration of Buddhist Practices, some of which border on the cusp of being 'new age.' I do not think this is a bad thing, but there was an attitude at the conference that somehow this technology is going become the savior of Western 21st Century Buddhism.

I should be clear, I am 54 years old, have never played a video game on a computer (outside of Solitaire) yet have been directly involved in Business Software and Programming since I left the US Air Force in 1980. I currently own and run an Enterprise Software Support and development company so I see technology as a tool; however Shinzen Young's assertion that we can possibly build an enlightenment machine, reminds me of what can be found in the classic, Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind from a 1901 book by Richard Maurice Bucke. Bucke had one of those 'big enlightenment experiences' and he spent the rest of his life trying to prove that is was inevitable that all humans will evolve into the Higher Consciousness he had experienced.

Perhaps many will find my stance 'old fashioned' and that is OK; it is human nature to believe that we can improve upon things, yet this is the very paradigm that separates us from the 'experience of the Absolute.'  It seemed, at times during the BG Conference, that we were in the midst of a Buddhist Marketing Convention. I was a bit disturbed by a thread that ran though most of the weekend that seemed to be focused on how to make money at teaching the Dharma. Several of the speakers also employ a fee based system similar to what you might pay to a Professional for Services, (ie: Psychologist, Lawyer, Counselor, etc..) Statements like, 'Psychologist's have already co-opted mindfulness and they are charging huge amounts for it, so we better wake up before there is nothing left for us,' I found distasteful.

I am prepared to get flack for saying this, so I will address the issue with maintaining a 'bricks and mortar' organization. Real estate, utilities, maintenance all cost money and these organizations need donations to flourish. So, I am not saying that it can be done for free; yet I feel strongly that teaching the dharma is a gift and should never involve a fee. It would have been nice to have someone on one of the panels who had an alternative view, but it seemed everyone was on board with the Dharma Gravy train. Shinzen Young was proud that he has lived off the Dharma his whole life and never had a real job, I think that is great for him. Some would say that people don't value what they are being given if they don't have to pay for it. This may be the case, but once it is given it is no longer ours. The other thing here is that it seems too much like 'selling water down by the river.' Buddha taught that we are already enlightened, so there is nothing changing hands and nothing to be gained. Enlightenment is not something that can be marketed as a Brand Name, and we have way too much of that already.

I have been using technology to break down the walls of the Monastery and to reduce the costs to the end user and no one brought that up during the weekend conference. Unlike Shinzen Young, I actually spent $270,000 of my own earnings trying to support the dharma in the first seven years of the 21st Century and this has led me to find alternatives to the bricks and mortar approach. Teaching the Dharma is a service to others, so viewing it as primarily in the realm of making a profit seems troubling at best.

I think Buddhist Geeks is doing a wonderful job of presenting alternative views of the Buddhadharma; I think that Sweeping Zen is doing a wonderful job of presenting alternative views of the ancient Ch'an Buddhist approach. Both are free and seem entirely altruistic in their approach and are serving two diverse audiences. That stated none of us live our lives without casting a shadow, and sometime those shadows can offend others, so in advance I apologize for saying anything that may seem awkward.

These are merely my opinions, and like all thoughts, constructs, ideas and concepts have no self nature.  :O:

Celebrating Peace and Communication! The 2011 Manhae Festival

Manhae Han Yong-un

Manhae Han Yong-un was a poet who devoted his life for Buddhism, literature, and the independence of Korea. He dreamt of peace during the Japanese colonial period, when there seemed to be nothing but darkness ahead.

Jeon Bo-sam who is the Director of the Manhae Museum said, "Manhae Han Yong-un is a poet who wrote the great poem "Love's Silence," and an independence fighter who led the March 1st Independence Movement. He is also a Korean well-known for being a great thinker and Buddhist monk."

The Festival is held in Inje county, of Gangwon Province, and is about three hours from Seoul. It was here, near Baekdam Temple where Manhae Han Yong-un wrote his seminal poem "Love's Silence," the "Manhae Festival" is an annual event held every year in mid-August.

Hong Sa-seong who is the Executive Director of the 2011 Manhae Festival said, "The Manhae Grand Prize was created to promote Manhae's love of life, peace, and the Korean people. We are hoping that this award will spread Manhae's thoughts and philosophy not only all over Korea, but also the world."

It has already been 67 years since he passed away, but Korea still strives to remember him and his work. A special ceremony is held before awarding the Manhae Grand Prize to renowned figures who were carrying on Manhae Han Yong-un's spirit of life, love, and patriotism. The formal ceremony begins by laying flowers at the bust of Manhae Han Yong-un.

Choung Byoung-gug who is the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism was quoted, "Manhae's philosophy, which is based on the Buddhist philosophies of peace and equality, can truly become the foundation on which the Korean people can resolve social conflicts and achieve unification, peace, and prosperity."

This year, the Manhae Peace Prize went to Anuradha Koirala, the director of Maiti Nepal who works to rescue girls from sex slavery. The Manhae Practice Prize was awarded to Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, a Sri Lankan archaeologist. The prize for literature was awarded to Korean poet Lee Keun-bae, and Chinese novelist Mo Yan, the author of the original novel of the movie "Red Sorghum."

The author Mo Yan, was asked about receiving the literature prize and said, "I was very excited when I first heard that I had been awarded this prize. The Manhae Grand Prize is a symbolic prize awarded to many great writers, and it is a great honor for me."

Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, who received the Practice Prize said, "Well, it is a great honor. For the whole academic world and for my country also. Not a personal thing. When I receive that award, certainly, I'll be happy, but that happiness is not for me. It is for the whole world."

Manhae Han Yong-un was especially beloved by the Korean people for his "Love's Silence," which expressed his passion for Korean independence and his love for Korea.

My love is gone.

Ah, the one I love is gone.

Crossing the narrow path

to the maple grove

that shatters the mountain green,

She tore away from me.

The love that he spoke of in the poem was Korea, and its independence. 2011 marks the 15th anniversary of the Manhae Festival, which adopted the theme of "peace and communication" for this year.

Perhaps that is why so much of the spotlight was focused on Anuradha Koirala, the winner of the Manhae Peace Prize. She stated, "This award will always remind my people and me that problems still exist and we have to work hard to fight this crime and keep the society free of tragedy." Some call her the“Mother of Nepal," or "Nepal's Mother Theresa." Since she established Maiti Nepal in 1993, she has rescued, treated, and educated 12,000 Nepalese women who had been trapped in sexual slavery.

Anuradha Koirala, Winner of Manhae Peace Prize said,"I think the only thing which I will learn from him is peace and wisdom. I am working on the part which Manhae has shown, that you have to work for peace and stability. I always have in mind, only one thing. Let us be a world free of trafficking."

Freedom is the life of the world, and peace is the happiness of life. The weak are not weak by nature, and the strong cannot be strong forever. Manhae Han Yong-un's legacy was a philosophy of non-violence and peace, based on Buddhist thought.

What would he have wanted to teach to us, living in the modern world was echoed by Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, "What Master Manhae taught us, how best we can propagate Master Manhae's peace for the peaceful coexistence of the people and respect for human life. How to work towards these two directions."

The 108 Prostrations of Repentance

The 108 Prostrations of Repentance was probably developed by the Chan school of Buddhism in China. It was brought to Korea and used for some time until it evidently became lost. It was rediscovered and revived in recent decades by the late Ven. Seongcheol, Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and is usually performed during the evening ceremony in major monasteries. It has also become highly popular with lay Buddhists at numerous Chogye temples throughout Korea. Each number in parenthesis refers to the number of the prostration.

Written by Brian Barry

Invocation

We honor will all our hearts the Buddha who gives us direction through his great selfless compassion for all sentient beings. He provides us with great joy and happiness, for he is the one who is adorned with the marks of a Buddha, and the one with great wisdom and great light. (1)

With all our hearts, we take refuge in Vairocana Buddha (2)

and we take refuge in the Three Jewels -- the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. (3)

Now that we have become spiritually aware, we pay homage not in the hope of receiving blessings or entering Paradise. Nor do we hope to become personally enlightened by hearing the Teachings, through karma, through mystical powers nor through the Bodhisattvas. We rely on the Incomparable Teaching so that all sentient beings may reach the Great Enlightenment simultaneously. (4)

(Prostration numbers 5 through 97 are to 93 different Buddhas, many of whose names in Chinese characters are unknown. Romanization of the Korean would probably create considerable problems for the reader, so the names have been intentionally omitted for the time being. Instead, 93 prostrations to all the Buddhas of the universes should suffice for now!)

Supplication 
To the innumerable Buddhas of the past, present and future, we ask that you remain with us always, compassionately looking over us.
.. In this life and in lives throughout time immemorial, we have performed all kinds of seriously unwholesome karma. We have performed this ourselves, made others perform it and delighted in seeing others perform it. We have stolen scared objects, have made others steal them and delighted in seeing others steal them. We have performed enough unwholesome karma to drive us into the realms of the hells, urged others to perform such karma and delighted in seeing others perform such karma.

We are aware of some of this awesome karma but we are unaware of much of it, for it is buried deep within the karmic storehouse. And for all this karma, we deserve such retribution as to fall into the realms of hells, of hungry ghosts or of animals. Even if we were to reincarnate in the human realm, we would deserve to be born in unbearable circumstances -- in terrible isolation or among savages. We now repent for all of this unwholesome karma. (98) We ask all the Buddhas of the universes to verify this repentance and we ask them to look over us with their great compassion.


Transference of Merit 
Furthermore, if in the past we have achieved merit through selfless generosity, through keeping the Precepts, through feeding even a single morsel to a hungry animal, through purity of action, through helping others to achieve the Way, through training on the Path, or through great wisdom, we now gather all of this merit together, and before the Great Wisdom of Enlightenment, we transfer it just as all the Buddhas of the universes transfer their merit.

Through the merit achieved through repentance, and merit achieved by imploring the Buddhas of the universes to spread the Dharma throughout the universes for eons, we hope to achieve incomparable wisdom. We now take refuge in and honor the Buddhas of the past, present and future, Buddhas who are the seas of noble and endless virtue for suffering sentient beings. (99)

(from "The Vows of Practice of Samantabhadra")

"I now honor, with purity of deed, word and thought, all of the past, present and future Buddhas of the universes. I honor all of the Buddhas, who through the wondrous power of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, are as numerous in a single atom as there are atoms in the Dharma realm. (100)

"I praise, through all eternity, the Buddhas who are as numerous in a single atom as there are atoms, and who, surrounded by Bodhisattvas, pervade the Dharma realm, speaking in mysterious and wondrous ways throughout eternity. (101)

"I offer such adornments as the finest of flowers and garlands, of musical instruments and perfumes and parasols. I offer a mountain of robes and the finest of fragrances and powdered incense, and sticks of incense and lamps, all piled as high as Mt. Sumeru. I deeply believe in the Buddhas of the past, present and future, the magnificent teachers of wisdom; and I make offerings to the Buddhas through the great powers of Samantabhadra. (102)

"I repent for all my unwholesome karma of the past that was rooted in the three poisons of avarice, aversion and delusion, karma which I performed mentally, verbally and physically. (103)

"I take joy in all the virtuous deeds of sentient beings, of the educated and the uneducated, of noble beings and of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. (104)

"I implore to hear the Dharma Teachings of the Enlightened Ones, the lights of all the worlds. (105)

"I implore the Buddhas who are striving for Final Enlightenment to remain with us for our benefit. (106)

"And all merit from honoring, lauding and making offerings to the Buddhas; all merit and joy from imploring the Buddhas to remain with us and teach us; and all merit derived from repentance -- all of this I transfer to all forms of life throughout the universes." (107)

And should there be any remaining merit for transferring such merit, I again transfer this to the Incomparable Eternal Dharma. I also transfer the great sea of merit obtained through the single-minded absorption beyond dualities of mind and phenomena and the dualities of Buddhist Law and the secular world.

And may all the retribution I have acquired from finding fault with and criticizing others for their misdeeds, and all the retribution I have acquired from illusions produced by attachment to the self and to dharmas be dissipated. With each thought I will spread great wisdom throughout the Dharma Realm and rescue all sentient beings from suffering.

I vow to transfer all merit as endlessly as the Void is endless, as endlessly as the karma of sentient beings is endless, as endlessly as agonies are endless. (108)

Dharma Talk on the Buddha’s Enligtenment Day

Photo courtesy of Larry Martin

Dharma talk given on the Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, December 8, 1948, at Haein-sa monastery, Gaya chongnim

About the Author
Hyobong Hangnul (1888~1966)

Master Hyobong left his position as a judge in the Japanese colonial period after bestowing the death penalty on independence fighters and became a monk based on his own experience of the human suffering. Applying himself with lionhearted devotion, he earned the nickname of “stone mortar master.”


Ascending the dharma platform and taking his seat, Hyobong Sunim said, “Over the last 3,000 years, there have been many who criticized the Buddha but few who praised him; the only one in the past who did so was Master Yunmen (雲門). However, today, this ‘mountain monk’ is about to praise the Buddha.”

He recited a gatha:

What thought did he needlessly arouse about entering the Snowy Mountains?
Sitting quietly for six years, what did he accomplish?
It is said that he awakened to the Way at the sight of the morning star,
But what is the Way and what also is awakening?

”The Buddha is a crazy thief who has sullied the pure and clear dharma realm, as well as a sinner who has fallen into the sea of the suffering of birth and death. The reason I say this is because the dharma realm is originally pure, clear, and impartial; so why did he speak of the distinctions between the six destinies of rebirth? All sentient beings enter supreme nirvana [無 上涅槃], so why did he speak about the dharma of transmigrating through birth and death, which prompts sentient beings to arouse doubts in their own minds!”

He recited a gatha:

Taking seven steps in each direction was the beginning of the Buddha’s transgressions,
Displaying his Nirvana in the twin Sala grove was the end of his transgressions.
His transgressions have been irredeemable since the distant past,
Where will he be able to repent?

He paused for a while and then said, “Today, this mountain monk will repent on the Buddha’s behalf before this assembly. Will the assembly accept it and forgive him?”

He paused again for a moment and said, “The transgressive karmic fruit of the Buddha have now vanished.”

He continued, “Generally speaking, if practitioners who are cultivating the Way simply calm their restless minds moment (kşana) by moment, right away they will be connected to the buddhas and patriarchs. Does the assembly in fact know the buddhas and patriarchs? That which, right before your very eyes, hears the dharma is in fact the buddhas and patriarchs, but practitioners of the Way often resist believing it. Hence, if one seeks [the buddhas and patriarchs] outside oneself, he will not attain it in the end." The triple world is like a burning house where one cannot abide for long, The evil spirit of impermanence, moment after moment, never stops Without discriminating between noble and humble, young or old. “In order to avoid the invasion of this evil spirit, one more than anything one must first find the Buddha. Where is the Buddha? This assembly’s one thought of pure and clear radiance is exactly the dharma-body buddha (dharmakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall; one thought of this body being free from discrimination is exactly the reward-body of the buddha (sambhogakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall; one thought of acting with the wisdom that is free from contaminants is exactly the transformation-body buddha (nirmanakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall."

"Commentators consider these three buddhas to be the most precise standards, but this mountain monk’s view is different. In my view, they are like wanderers who have left their homes; the equanimous enlightenment and sublime enlightenment (of the buddhas) are like a person in bondage; ‘voice-hearers’ [sravakas] and ‘solitary realizers’ [pratyekabuddhas] are like turds in an outhouse; bodhi and nirvana are like a blind man’s mirror. Because ordinary practitioners do not awaken to the transparency of the three asamkhyeyakalpas [infinite eons], they are subject to such obstructions, but this is not the case with the true sages. At the moment a thought arises, there never is a thought present: They eat and put on their clothes as they may, come and go as they may, and sit or lie down as they may; at any time or place, they manifest themselves in only one way. Furthermore, they do not even have a thought of seeking the Buddha. Therefore, if you try to seek the Buddha, you only become entangled by the Buddha; if you try to seek the patriarchs, you become entangled by the patriarchs. Seeking is nothing but suffering, which is worse than if one had not sought anything at all.”

He recited a gatha:

Whatever thoughts one may have,
Make it difficult to become a person of no-affairs.
If one suddenly forgets all things at once,
There will be no final eight days in the last month of the year.

He raised his staff, struck the platform once, and said: “Today, there are many in this dharma assembly who have been listening to the dharma, but only one person among them will gain benefit. I ask you, ‘Who is this person?’ KATZ!”

He then descended from the dharma platform.

Special Medicine and Big Business

I was just reading my friend Brad Warner's Blog post on Mountain of Drugs and it reminded me of a story from Dropping Ashes on the Buddha. Zen Master Seung Sahn was often asked about the helpfulness of taking drugs and once a few of the students in Provide normally nce convinced him to drop acid (take LSD) with them. They said he seemed to act through the whole experience while they were swinging wildly through the cacauphany of their own experiences. The next day, when asked what he thought about the experience, he merely said, "Yes, this is very interesting, however taking more than one time is not necessary as you already know the experience."

From Dropping Ashes on the Buddha by Seung Sahn Grove Press 841 Broadway NY NY 10003 LC: 75-37236 ISBN: 0-8021-3052-6

One spring afternoon, three students were having tea in Seung Sahn Soen-sa's room at the Providence Zen Center. One student said to Soen-sa, "Many people have come to Zen as a result of their experience with psychedelics, or 'special medicine,' as you call it. Is taking psychedelics good or bad?"

Soen-sa said, "The question of good or bad is not important. It is neither good nor bad. What is important is why they take this medicine. Do you understand?"

Another student said, "What do you mean by good and bad?"

Soen-sa said, "Taking the medicine in order to understand is good. Taking the medicine because of the good feelings it gives you is not so good."

"Then it's possible to come to an understanding through special medicine?"

"It is possible. Many people are attached to name and form. They take this medicine and for five or ten hours it is the same as death. They have no hindrance from their body and their body's desires. It is like a dream. There is only the free action of their consciousness, the free play of the Karma I. So they understand that all life is empty. Life is death; death is life. They understand very clearly that fighting and differences among people are unnecessary, are just the result of wrong thinking. They no longer desire to be rich or successful. Rich or poor, success or failure--it is all the same. It comes to the same thing when you are dead."

The first student said, "You've just convinced me to take special medicine twice a day!"

Soen-sa said, "Taking it once or twice can be very helpful. But taking it more often is dangerous. It is very easy to become attached to special medicine. You are already a Zen student. So you already understand that life is empty; you understand what the true way is. When your body is sick, it is sometimes necessary to take a strong drug. But when you are healthy, you don't take drugs. So this special medicine cures some sickness, but it creates other sicknesses. After you take it, you have many attachments. You don't feel like working. You don't want money. You only want to relax or work in the garden or listen to music or enjoy art."

"Not make money? Heaven forbid!"

"This is an attachment to natural-style or hippie-style living. It is no good for a Zen

A new global interest in Korean Studies

From Korean JoongAng Daily
July 11, 2011
By Kang Hye-ran [enational@joongang.co.kr]

Six scholars of Korean studies speak on July 7 in Seoul. From left, USC Prof. David Kang, Georgetown University Prof. Victor Cha, UCLA Prof. Robert Buswell, University of Bologna Prof. Antonio Fiori, Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof. Vyjayanti Raghavan and Shandong University Dean of Korean studies Niu Linjie. Provided by the Korea Foundation

Scholars from around the world who teach and study Korean said that Korean studies have grown substantially in other countries. The scholars were attending the 2011 Korea Foundation Assembly in Seoul, which was held earlier this month.

The event was hosted by the Korea Foundation, which promotes Korean studies around the world and is marking its 20th anniversary. Six of the 96 scholars who attended the assembly held a press conference while in Seoul to share how they become associated with Korea.

“When I told my mother that I am going to Korea to study, she asked for me to show her a map and tell her where Korea is. And even though it was 1978, Korea still had a strong war image,” said Vyjayanti Raghavan, Korean department professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. “Now, Nehru University has over 100 students who are majoring in Korean and four full-time professors, including myself.”

UCLA Professor Robert Buswell, who studied Buddhism and became interested in Korea, spent five years at Songgwang temple, North Jeolla, when he was 19. When he went back to the States, he continued his study. “Korea to me is like my home because I know a lot of monks in Korean Buddhist temples.”

“At the point when I was appointed as a professor at [UC] Berkeley and at UCLA, there was no such thing as a Korean major,” Buswell said. “However, a Korean major became one of the important fields in Asian Study in the U.S.,” he added.

The growth of Korean studies also has occurred in China. “At my university, 150 students who are in the Korean major are admitted every year and there are 28 professors,” said Niu Linjie, a Korean study dean at Shandong University, China, who graduated from Kim Hyong Jik University in North Korea, and finished his master’s and doctorate program at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul.

“I, having a father who defected from North Korea, got more interested in the tension on the Korean Peninsula,” said Professor David Kang of the University of Southern California, who has a Korean father and an American mother.Emphasizing that national security and economic growth in Korea are intriguing topics, Victor Cha, a second-generation Korean American who is a Georgetown University professor and chief of Asia research, attended a lecture by visiting Professor Han Seung-ju during his doctorate program at Colombia University and became interested in issues of East Asia and Korea. These professors agreed that the Korean Wave is having a great influence on Korean studies. “In the olden days, people studied Korea for jobs at Korean companies. However, one third of admitted students are now in the field because they like Korean popular culture,” said Professor Niu said.

According to the Korean Foundation, as of the end of 2010, the foundation has supported 987 fellows from 75 countries in field research in Korea as well as helping establish 100 Korean studies faculty positions at 69 universities in 12 countries. The assembly, which was held from July 6-9 and drew about 200 participants, centered on “new ways to approach Korean studies and understand Korea in a global context.”