Chapter Ten: Belief and Dedication 16
Chŏng Sŏkhyŏn asked, “There may be many painful circumstances in my life, but I live in the joy of offering mental affirmation daily before the Dharmakāya Buddha.” The Founding Master said, “I’m not sure whether Sŏkhyŏn has found the authentic joy that comes from truly understanding the meritorious virtue and awesome power of the Dharmakāya Buddha, but offering mental affirmation is certainly one way of discovering joy in the midst of suffering. If one lives in this way, there is no reason not to be able to be gratified even in painful circumstances. When I was dwelling on Pongnae Mountain, several of those staying with me in a deep, remote mountain valley where the shelter and food were very poor and the physical labor quite extreme, had to endure all sorts of severe hardships, but even so, they always experienced a joyous life by simply hearing the dharma and in serving me. On another occasion in Yŏnggwang, my very first nine disciples, who originally had never done any physical labor, went through indescribable hardship while they were reclaiming the tideland on those snowy, cold days in the depths of winter. But without expressing any complaint or dissatisfaction, they turned their hardship into joy through their happiness in establishing our new order, and whatever instructions I gave, they joyfully received and obeyed them all. During those times, those disciples may have appeared to others as if they were going through unbearable hardships, but in reality, their hearts were so filled with boundless joy that they were gratified by heavenly joys right in this world. Hence, if you intend to pursue this practice and this work, you first must attain the strength to turn all sensory conditions always into joy by readily transcending numerous hardships through firm belief and grand hopes. Only then will you be able to continue eternally a paradisiacal life in the limitless world.”
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