Author: Chong Go Sunim

We have a new (35 page) ebook out! This is a nice book about the basics of, well, everything important! lol. Here are the links, as well as the table of contents. We’ve printed this book in Korea, so if you’re here, we can send you a print copy in English or Korean, but due to shipping problems arising from Covid, we currently can’t ship paper books overseas.

epub format Kindle (mobi) format (A basic “ereader” app for your phone or tablet will open and read these files, if you aren’t already using an ereader.)

Table of contents:
Your True Worth!
What is spiritual practice?
Why bother with it?
Some cautionary points about spiritual practice

Section 1: Common Buddhist ideas and their deeper meaning
1. Buddhism and Buddha
2. Mind, One Mind, and Juingong
3. My True Reality

Section 2: Basic principles that make spiritual growth possible
1. The Principle of Non-Duality
2. The Principle of Ever Flowing – Emptiness
3. The Principle of Cause and Effect
4. Samsara and Evolution

This is a tiny section of the morning bell chant. We do it everyday, but in the older, Chinese character version, so it’s nice for me, too, to read this again in English. Just this one piece, even without the rest of it, it so good. If we just truly did this, can you imagine how much we would grow, and how sweet our lives would be?!

In praise of our Buddha-nature
I vow to always follow one mind,
regardless of what others may do.
My heart will always be with one mind,
my thoughts will never leave one mind.

Deeply observing the Dharma realm,
I realize that there is an unseen thread
that connects absolutely everything.
This non-dual one mind exists in every single place.

In order to awaken and perceive this,
which has always been here,
I take refuge in one mind,
ever present, taking care of everything throughout all realms.
This is not something that can disappear or be caused to appear.
Namu Amitabul

Repenting is what allows us to move forward. Until we do this, we are often stuck trying not to admit to ourselves that we did something wrong. We can spend so much time and energy going over a thing, coming up with justifications and excuses (which may even be mostly right!) for what we did. But when we repent, we return that event to this completely empty place, allowing us to move forward.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)

I now deeply repent of having spoken harshly.

나쁜 말한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)

I now deeply repent of having spoken ill of others and caused discord among people.

이간질한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

“It wasn’t my fault!” creates an opposite, something other than me, that I had nothing to do with, and no connection to. But this isn’t true. Everything is connected as one, even that thing or event I don’t want anything to do with. This is not to say we should beat ourselves up or be harsh towards ourselves, just to accept that there is a connection there and that our behavior may not have been the wisest. When you feel regret, entrust the thought, “Next time, as that’s arising, I want to remember to entrust it *before* I respond.” So not just entrusting the idea that you want to behave better, but also that you want to remember to entrust it to your foundation.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)

I now deeply repent of having spoken manipulating words.

삿된 말한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)

I now deeply repent of having lied.

거짓말한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

When the Buddha was first asked about precepts, he told his first disciples (who were fairly advanced, grounded practitioners), “You all know what’s right and what’s wrong. Do what’s right and avoid what’s wrong.” This worked quite well with them, but later, when more uneducated and more out of touch(?) disciples came the Buddha had to get more specific to help them step outside of their own particular blind spots.

In general, the guideline that works quite well is this: If it makes your heart brighter, it’s probably okay. If it makes your heart darker, then avoid it. If you can’t tell, probably best to avoid it.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)

I now deeply repent of sexually improper thoughts and behavior.

사음한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

(Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions)
I now deeply repent of having stolen.

도둑질한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

Just so you know, there’s no particular connection between this photo and the verse!
Although repentance isn’t a magical brush that sweeps away our wrongdoings, there is still something very powerful about it. When we say it out loud, something changes.

Perhaps it’s just that by admitting it, we stop with all the half-conscious justifications that can absorb so much of our energy. Perhaps we are admitting where we are really at, and by admitting I’m “here,” there’s a foundation and starting point for moving forward. Anyway, whenever you feel guilty about something, try speaking out loud (if the circumstances are appropriate) and repenting of it.

Repenting of the Ten Evil Actions
I now deeply repent of having killed.

십악참회 十惡懺悔
살생한 큰 죄 오늘 참회합니다.

I wish there was a type of tattoo that would only last for about a year or two; I would definitely get this verse on my forearm so that I would be reminded of this daily!

(Homage to the Twelve Buddhas who Dissolve All Karma)

Homage to the Supreme Buddha
one with everything,
who applies the treasure of one mind to all things
without the least discrimination.

한마음의 보배는 두루 걸림 없이 굴림이 여여한 주 불