Well, let's explain the two kinds of meditation, induction and deduction. Exercise therapy works directly on the sick part of the body, which is an inductive method. On the other hand, tracking down the cause of the disease and releasing it is a deductive method. Relaxing the body and working out is just a temporary, symptomatic relief. Without releasing the congest part in your heart, even though your listening now, the symptom will appear again as soon as you go back home.
So changing your mind is necessary. Why is changing your mind necessary? It's for your own sake. Even if there's someone you dislike, if you hate him that would bring you a great disadvantage. Because your health is harmed, you should change your mind. If you can't change your mind, try to use other methods: forget it, give it up, or postpone it.
Among old practice methods there are many helpful meditation methods. They help you deal with certain problems that you can't solve on your own. They include forgetting your problems, dropping them on the verge of cliffs, burning them and so on. Like this the basic principle of Suseonjae's meditation therapy is healing the mind. Other than that you can adopt some related theories for accompanying parts. Is this clear?
I want you to study that part further. In terms of the content you talked (was a lecture) about the subject, it's difficult to pass the average point. I understand your debut is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. If you want to get public recognition as outstanding or brilliant, you need to firmly establish the theoretical basis of our meditation therapy, which should be based on celestial messages. Because so many other people have already talked about the same topic, a similar talk can never attract people's attention.
Therefore listen to the tape on the principle of health and life. Because no one has ever talked about it, you have to introduce the theory as the basic principle of Suseonjae's meditation therapy. You should not forget it by any means.
If you follow this guideline and make an effort, your lecture will be a great success. Let's give him a big hand.
There is a principle of "Water goes up and fire comes down." A failure in this is the basic cause of disease. The nature of fire energy is going up. Fire doesn't come down and burn there. If there's a fire, it goes up and burns, doesn't it? Likewise if there's a fire in your body or mind, it goes all the way up and burns intensely up there. On the other hand water always falls from top to bottom. Have you ever seen water go up? A fountain is artificially made. Therefore if anger arises in you, you have to put it out and as long as you perform it properly, you'll never get a disease. Since you can't put down the fire of anger properly, you get a disease. Meditation is the way you calm down your anger, and there are three methods: forget it, postpone it, or give it up.
Things about food are also important. The temperature of food is very, very important. The human body temperature is 36.5 degrees Celsius. Human beings are very, very warm animals. It's over 30 degrees Celsius these days and you find it unbearable, don't you? You can see what a warm-blooded animal a human being is.
You drink cold water and keep eating something cold in summer saying "It's so hot." Some people even insist that human diseases were caused by the invention of refrigerators. Their main idea is, since refrigerators and air conditioners were in use, diseases have increased this much, for those appliances weakened the human immune system. Therefore the most proper temperature is being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. It's a state where your body shows almost no reaction when you eat or drink, whether it's hot or cold is not perceptible. That's what's good for your body.
If you keep eating something cold, your stomach gets cold while the surface of your body gets hot. You say "My body's warm or my body's cold." But what part of your body is warm or cold? That's also divided. It may be your upper body that feels warm, or it may be your lower body. Sometimes it's inside of your body that sends out heat, but sometimes it's just your skin part that does so.
Sweating doesn't necessarily mean your body's hot. It's possible that your stomach is cold and your skin is hot. He who has a feverish face is very likely to drink a cold beverage continuously thinking, "My body has a lot of heat." But there's a chance that the lower parts of his body are cold.
In the case of OO Susa(class 3; someone who has been certified with finishing Daejucheon), your upper body is on fire while your lower body is cold. Why does this come about? It's because "Water goes up and fire comes down" is not realized in your body. As heat carries on going up, your upper body's hot, which makes your lower body cold. Why does heat carry on going up? Because he's short-tempered. Why is he so impatient? Because his liver's out of order. Why is his liver out of order? Because he's impatient. It's a vicious circle. Someone like him has to be relaxed. He must be relaxed and patient by all means, but he's still so impatient. These couples of facts are the cause of disease.
You're impatient. You get angry easily and heat goes up and burns intensely there. And there's a vicious circle... when your liver worsens, it's not only your liver that worsens. When tree energy rises up, as tree energy conflicts with soil energy, soil energy organs like the stomach worsen. When soil energy rises up, it conflicts with water energy. It goes around like a circle. The fundamental remedy is to be relaxed. So you should strive to be relaxed by all means.
Then how can you be relaxed? Try to chew food as slowly as possible. You need to chew even water. Chew about 30 times before you drink. For those who are impatient, that will be a catastrophe, won't it? He's the one who drinks even wine at a gulp. I thought he was drinking water! But it was wine that he was drinking at a gulp. Because he's so impatient. If you are impatient like that, you can never live your given lifespan. The way to correct it is to chew food over and over again. Your impatience will be gradually corrected.
Nowadays a lot of people use Bidets at home.
I suspect few Korean people know how to use a Bidet properly. As you know Koreans are known for their impatience. When they use the bathroom, they just hurry to get out without waiting for the Bidet to wash and dry them completely. No one's that patient here. (laughing) You may have to discipline yourself to use a Bidet instead of toilet papers for a while. (everyone laughing) I would say if you are patient enough to wait for a Bidet to do its job to the end, you are a healthy person. The point is, people are just too hasty here, and that causes a disease.
The principles of "Water goes up and fire comes down", cold food, impatience.. Is there anything else as a cause of disease? What else do you think there is? There are no more than four or five things in the cause of disease.
Yes. Thinking too much. You get a disease because you think too much. Why do you have so many thoughts? It's because you have so many worries. Why do you have so many worries? It's because you have no energy.
The older you grow, the more you get to worry. When they face difficulties and get worried, the young can take action and deal with them, can't they? When you're young and have energy, if there's someone that makes you furious, you can just jump out of the bed and run to the person and give him a good punch. But in case of old people, it may take an hour just to rise up. (laughing) It takes an hour to rise up, and another hour to get out. So they cannot but lie on the bed and carry on worrying.
Then what makes you worried? It's because you have no energy, no ability to deal with your problem. What makes you have no energy? It's because you are too anxious. Then what can you do with your worries? Remember the hymn for forgetfulness. Forget them. Do not worry. Worry only about this moment.
You may be hungry or your leg may be hurting now. Then worry just about it. "Oh, I'm hungry", that's your only worry now. In most cases, your worries are either a past tense or a future tense. But this moment is the year 2004, what month, what day, what time, the present moment. What worry can be there at this moment? "My legs are numb because I've been sitting down for long", that should be your only worry now. (everyone laughed) What else is there?
However, I see all of you are worried now. Your mind is all heavy. Your worries are all about what already happened yesterday or what if there's no bus running when you leave, or what if it rains tomorrow. That's for tomorrow, not today. Always make this moment the primary focus of your mind. Live only for the moment, and worry will be gone.
You don't know if you will die tomorrow, then why do you worry about tomorrow? Make "now" the only time-point that you're concerned about. The past is gone by. What's the use of worrying about it? It's all over with. You already shot an arrow, and the arrow's now on the other side. What's the point of worrying about it? You'd better shoot another arrow now than worrying about the old one. The arrow you shoot again is not yesterday's.
My point is, don't think too much. If you want to think less, walk as much as you can. Do a lot of sole exercises. Most philosophers and writers, and those who think a lot have been provided with energy while taking a walk. They replenish themselves, empty their mind, and settle their affairs while walking. Like that, those who think a lot have to move their bodies constantly.
For instance why don't you sew, knit or even stitch Arui Stone marbles in your free time? (everyone laughed) The more you exercise your hands, the better, for it strengthens your Simpo/Samcho (Pericardium, Triple Burner, Immune System). If you worry a lot, move your body constantly.
Even depression is caused by worry. And the remedy for it is always found in everyday life. The remedy is not sitting in the lotus position for an hour but putting such simple and easy actions into practice.
What else can be the cause of disease? Yes. Greed. Having greed far more than your capacity is a problem. I've told you about it before. What's greed? Greed is wanting what's beyond your ability. And wanting it now, not in the future.
What you can achieve within the scope of your ability is a proper plan, a proper hope, and a proper goal. But what goes beyond your present level of ability, or what you desire and expect more than you can do is greed.
Therefore there's a difference between my greed and OO Susa's. If OO Susa wants 100 million won, it may be greed. (she laughed) But if I want 100 million won, it may not be greed. Even if I ask 100 million won for my salary, it may not be greed. When I'm capable to make that much money, it's a proper wish and demand. But if he asks 100 million won for his salary without any foundation, repeating "Give me this much", it's greed.
This is the definition of greed. The criterion is not others but you. Based on your actual capacity, decide whether or not to reach, postpone reaching or give up your goal. You can choose only one out of these three choices.
Once I've told you that the amount of your stamina ranges from a Tico (the smallest Korean vehicle) to a Mercedes-Benz. You need to adjust your wants according to the amount of energy you have. You can do so either by increasing your energy or by reducing your greed.
If you made up your mind to reach your goal without giving up your greed, you have to make an effort to do at least one thing a day to reach the goal. Make time to do it on a daily basis. If you want to be fluent in English, for example, you should put in at least half an hour to practice English. Or if you want to make 100 million won, invest at least half an hour or one hour a day to search related materials, or actually work to make the money. When you desire something while you do nothing for it, that's not even greed. It's vain greed. Strive to realize your goal diligently, having my guidelines in mind.
A disease comes from your state of mind. If someone asks for your advice about his health, ask this: "Are you happy or sad? What state of mind are you in now?" You don't have to give an Oring test(testing the reaction of the body by using the hand). Just ask "How do you feel? Are you happy? Angry? Or Sad?" If he says he's sad, ask why he's sad. Then there must be a reason for it. All you have to do next is to give him a proper solution for it.
Then ask him "How's your body? Is it OK as it is to live a normal life?" If he answers that his leg is in pain or this or that, tell him that as long as he doesn't have major problems to eat and live, he's healthy. Advise him "Don't expect too much about your health. As long as you feel alive and have no serious problems to live, when you can walk around, you're healthy." If he tells you his bodily condition is this or that, ask "For doing what is it so uncomfortable? What is it that you want to do and your body doesn't allow you to do?" Guide him to let go of an excessive expectation about health.
From the moment you were born, complete health is extremely difficult to get for various reasons. Therefore as long as you don't have serious problems to eat and live, it can be said you're healthy. Everyone has a couple of illnesses either in the mind or in the body.
Therefore just put up with your illness without even trying to shake it off. Embrace it as part of yourself, a friend, and a constant companion thinking that you would live with it to the end. Do not resist your disease. Do not consider it as your enemy and strive to cast it out. To fight against and win over what's already in you is of tremendous stress. Therefore when you have a disease, the best attitude you can have about it is to acknowledge it and become friends with it. It means you admit that the disease came to you.
Suppose you have cancer and it has developed to a certain stage, you are very likely to struggle to defeat it, thinking an enemy invaded your body. You get to burn intensely in a hostile feeling. But in fact cancer is what's produced in your cells. It also is your cell, your body.
This is going to be a long story. Originally it was your cell but as years went by it was transmuted by accident and became a cancer cell. Therefore if you accept that it's yours and part of yourself, and enter a state where you're reconciled with it in harmony, you'll be even healthier
Although it's not what you can welcome with such a joyful mind, (she laughed), anything that came into your body is yours, even if they are bacteria. Anything that goes out of your body is not yours any longer. However, because anything that came into your body is yours, it's the best attitude to accept as yours and embrace it as your friend. Let other people know this.
Once you get people to let go of their excessive expectation about health then tell the above guideline, they'll soon be at ease. If some of them say their problems are still not solved, you will need to have them exercise and meditate. But in most cases they will be able to find solutions in the guideline I've just said. That's what a therapy is about.
From a social viewpoint, meditation therapists should perform a role more akin to that of a psychiatrist. A great psychiatrist helps you release stress, get light-hearted, and feel at ease just by listening to your story. Even if it's necessary he doesn't prescribe more than a couple of pills for you. And he never tries to give you too much at a time, because it won't help.
Likewise it's desirable for you to give the person you've talked to what's considered the most proper remedy. Recommend not an extraordinary thing but a couple of common things; then tell him or her about related experiences. You may want to start like this: "I'm not sure if it's good for everyone, but people around me liked it a lot." I've come to think that this kind of a mild therapy would be good enough.
I-Yang: Master Mun, Suseonjae publishing company I'm with is editing a book about disease. Because they're so many cases we decided to put the content about atrophy(skin disease) in it. When I asked someone for reference materials about atrophy, he explained it by the theory of cold energy and warm energy. Is it OK to go forward with that?
Yes. That sounds reasonable. Atrophy is regarded as a disease caused by pollution. Usually lung disease is caused by air. The skin is governed by the lungs and large intestines, and lung disease is caused by polluted air or impure energy. When temperature goes up too high or drops too low, your body can't regulate its temperature properly, and it weakens your immune system.
There are two paths in our body. One is a path for blood, the other for energy. Paths for blood consist of arteries, veins, capillary vessels. Paths for energy are called meridians, of which Western doctors are unaware. They don't know what meridians are, where they are located. When it comes to meridians, there are lots of pros and cons. I-Shin spoke about Bonghan's theory; judging from the content I heard, it looks like a discovery about meridians.
Meridians are said to be cells. They are in the flesh. When I find meridians hearing this or that part is blocked, they are not inside the organs, not between the flesh and organs, not in the fat under the skin, nor in the skin. They are in the flesh. In case of being inside the organs, they are in the membranes.
They are not in the skin but in the flesh. Cells. Meridians are inside cells. Yet they are visible. If you put some color in there, there's a good chance that you can take a picture of them.
I-Shin: Pictures were taken. Bonghan's theory is all about it. The thing was, what kind of coloring agent would be used. Anyhow, Mr. Bonghan Kim took pictures of meridians, and so did Seoul National University Physics department using another material.
Oh, pictures were taken? Yes, I remember I've heard of it before. Was it reported in the newspapers? There are a huge number of meridians running all over your body. The number of them is as many as that of blood vessels. In other words, where there's energy, there's blood. Since energy and blood move together in a pair, there are so many meridians in your body. They cover up the entire body just as spider's threads like fine veins cover the entire tree trunk.
I-Yang: In case of pregnant women, what could be a proper therapy? There are almost no messages spoken about them. I'm writing a related book using just general knowledge about pregnancy. I'd like to ask if there's any messages given about it.
Let me see... Hasn't it been said practicing during the pregnancy is good? A disease has nothing to do with pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a specialized area that only about this you can write a heavy volume. In what respect do you want to deal with pregnancy?
I-Yang: Ordinary people are very interested in pregnancy. Nevertheless among Suseonjae trainees, there are few cases known for atrophy and pregnancy. Due to public interest in the topic, I put the content in the book that when pregnant women come to the center, we can offer them a helpful meditation therapy such as Arui exercises, moral support, and so on.
As for the right mindset about pregnancy, you should not think the soul who came to you as your possession. It's another entity of soul which Heaven granted through your body. You regard it as your other self, but that's not true. It's a completely separate entity of soul. Therefore you should be eager to raise your guest really well and do it good.
The other day someone said when he thought of picking up all the weeds in the Suseondae courtyard, a voice during meditation said, "There are no weeds." He asked me if weeds exist. I answered, "No." There are no weeds, so to speak. Don't distinguish weeds and flowering plants. Treat them as equally precious beings. In the standpoint of weeds, they are flowering plants.
I never pick up grass. I don't do such a thing as picking up even a root of grass. How painful would it be for the grass? This is a big sin I realized sometime in the past. I heard weeds scream in pain.
They feel the same as human beings. If someone suddenly approaches you and cuts off your arm, you will be screaming in great pain, won't you? Once I picked up withering flowers on a plant. I did it just to the pass time. Then the plant felt great pain and also felt so sad. I realized what a terrible thing I did to the plant.
Also I've picked up weeds when they surrounded by grass nearby, which I don't do it any longer. From the grass' standpoint, weeds are weeds. But from the weeds' standpoint, grasses are weeds. Therefore "All life is precious."
Weeds grow of themselves. On the other hand, people's effort and devotion such as watering and trimming are needed to grow flowering plants, and that's why they are considered precious. However, growing of themselves without causing any toil or pain to humans is a more precious thing.
How beautiful weeds are! Their flowers are gorgeous. I do find no-name flowers and wild flowers beautiful. They have something that flowering plants can never imitate. So don't mistreat them thoughtlessly. Be aware that all life is precious. When it comes to weeds, life took place on the spot at the moment. They were created spontaneously by the energy which was right there.
Thus talking and living with everything should be based on the concept that it's equal in nature and value to you.
-Teachings by Master Suroso Mun at Arui Seon Meditation and Tea Cafe on August 23, 2004
