Chapter Twelve: Exemplary Acts 15

At the Seoul Temple, the Founding Master weeded the temple grounds himself and said, “I had two reasons for weeding the temple grounds today: one was to set an example to the temple managers always to pay close attention to the neatness of the temple grounds; the other was to demonstrate that when we do not examine our minds regularly, distracted thoughts will arise right before our eyes, just as will these weeds should we neglect the temple grounds for even a short while. By demonstrating that mind practice and the act of pulling weeds have the same intent, I am emphasizing that you may assess your mind practice by pulling weeds and may pull weeds as a part of your mind practice, so that you may keep clean both the temple grounds and the field of your mind. I ask that you constantly bear in mind these two intents, so that you do not neglect my original objective.”