I can’t believe I forgot to mention this! We have a new Dharma talk by Kun Sunim on YouTube. This is pretty good one! In it she focuses on something that (rightly) often gets a bad rap – the ability of the intentions we give rise to.
The main idea is that this world moves and responds according to the thoughts we give rise to. If we keep thinking that the situation is a certain way, then those thoughts are like instructions to the lives that make up our bodies to move in that direction. This is why it’s so important to view things positively, even when it would be easy to take the negative view. Even when it would be easy to think of that perspective as more realistic.
The example I always give comes from my time at Korean Army bases: If the sergeant tells soldiers to get to the top of a mountain in 30 minutes, they take off running, not having any real doubt about getting up there. They likely expect it will be hard, and a few people might have problems, but they’re all going to be there.
If on the other hand, the sergeant says it’s too hard for them, that they can’t do it, then of course, the soldiers don’t even try. It’s the same way with the lives in our body.
Now, there are some limitations to this. Cause and effect play a role, as does my capacity to deal with even the good things that happen to me. There are so many reasons why I may not have a million dollars fall out of the sky. To do so might burn up all of my good karma, leaving me with nothing in the bank, so to speak. Would you trade your health or even life for money? Would you trade them for a new car?
More likely, those kinds of desires tend to be reflections of our discriminations and narrow viewpoints, and as such, they can’t easily connect with the energy of the whole. To connect with that, I have to let go of and entrust the intentions I’ve given rise to.
There are probably more aspects of this I should have addressed, so if you have a question, go ahead and ask in the comments.
with palms together,
Chong Go
Wake Up and Laugh! 
Dear Chong Go, I would love more subtitled video talks from Daehaeng Kun Sunim when your group has time. Makes a great difference to me hearing her voice, even if I don’t understand the Korean but rely on the subtitles. Thank you for your work. Kind Regards.
Hi Sue,
We’ll try to work faster! Lol. We want more as well, but it’s a slow process as we work on several things at the same time.
How to keep positive view at all times? I have a big problem with this. Like, I have a great view, see it clearly positive even the adverse situation and see the meaning and purpose and feel gratitude for the workings of Juingong, but then it flips and I cannot lift a positive thought about it, it all goes down some dark chute of some sort. I am tired struggling with this, and also scared to influence how things go but cannot make a positive view at that time. because when positive bright view comes, it comes by itself and so is negative, so i don’t know how can I do it, if it happens by itself. I cannot force positive in those negative moments, and even if I remember the previous positive view, the negative kind of overrides it, and then when bright view comes, it overrides the negative and I am so happy that all is bright and meaningful, but then it flips again. It can be a day or two or even a week, but often in a single day the perception and view on a particular situation flips. It is so hard. also because often the situation gets resolved but then it starts similar again, and it is easy to think that there is no end to this and it is dragging like this on and on, while time is flowing like water, so I begin to doubt everything and don’t know what to do, cannot make a decision how to proceed. So my question is how to keep a sturdy view, and why is it so difficult
Another way to look at it would be to say, “Gently work at returning to a positive view of things when you find you’ve fallen into darker views.” As you can guess, the first step is just being aware. Then you can realize when you’ve taken on a fairly negative view of something. So just knowing what’s going on with your own thoughts is helpful and fairly important!
But, the next part is hard. We have to figure out how to be gentle and kind to ourselves when we realize that we’ve done this. It’s so easy to start beating ourselves up and being negative towards ourselves for… having a negative view of other things! Isn’t that messed up?!
So, I would suggest, and this is just my own experiments, not some ultimate, infallible “truth”, is practicing saying something kind to yourself when you find you’ve fallen into a negative view of things. Maybe even write some down on a card to remind yourself, so that you can read one if you draw a blank of things to say.
“Hey, having a hard day?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I love you.”
“How about a hug?”
(The “sticky” post I made at the top of this blog has something similar for turning around negative views of other people or situations.)
Then, once you’ve kindly acknowledged what was going on, try to relax and not feed those thoughts energy. Likewise, any itch to beat yourself up for not doing better. And pay attention. You may notice certain triggers for negative thoughts, like reading too much news, or a certain news program. In that case, just avoiding them might be the way to go.
But, the thing is to let go of a desire to beat yourself up. Then, from that gentleness, try to come up with some way to view the situation positively, maybe, “This is all part of the process of people growing up,” or “I also used to behave like that.”
Thank you, I will try. I often remember how KunSunim, when wandering in mountains, saw a distant village lights and wanted to go there but hurt her foot badly. I get somewhat similar things when I wish for a hug or “i love you”, or simply ease, it’s like i am always reminded, and harshly, to return and rely on my own inner place. Very lonely and difficult, but there are glimpses of experiences that come from it.
I will try to apply what you said, thank you 🙏