The joy of living away from home
 |
Description
Book Introduction
The Honest and Candid Stories of 36 Monks from Haeinsa Temple's Buddhist College
Experience the joy of living away from home, something that ordinary people cannot experience.
Whether you live this way or that way, the purpose of life is the same.
Living happily.
But where is this happiness for the time being?
As we live, there are more times when we feel that life is closer to unhappiness than happiness.
If the average life is about comforting yourself with the thought, "Life is like that," and living with a certain sense of fulfillment, there are people who reject mediocrity and pursue the ultimate pursuit of happiness.
One of them is a monk who has left home and lives by practicing asceticism.
This book is a story of people who seem to live simply on the outside, but in reality, they think about and reflect on life more seriously than anyone else, and of those who, in search of true happiness, give up everything they have, leave home, shave their heads, and live as 'true' happiness seekers. It is a story of 100% true happiness.
Experience the joy of living away from home, something that ordinary people cannot experience.
Whether you live this way or that way, the purpose of life is the same.
Living happily.
But where is this happiness for the time being?
As we live, there are more times when we feel that life is closer to unhappiness than happiness.
If the average life is about comforting yourself with the thought, "Life is like that," and living with a certain sense of fulfillment, there are people who reject mediocrity and pursue the ultimate pursuit of happiness.
One of them is a monk who has left home and lives by practicing asceticism.
This book is a story of people who seem to live simply on the outside, but in reality, they think about and reflect on life more seriously than anyone else, and of those who, in search of true happiness, give up everything they have, leave home, shave their heads, and live as 'true' happiness seekers. It is a story of 100% true happiness.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Preface_ Before publishing the book
Part 1: How I Became a Monk
There was a sweet calling
The only thing I wish for after retirement
The true path of renunciation
Lose love and let go of me
It hurt because you loved me too much
I don't regret becoming a monk.
What you will know when you stop and look
What kind of life are you living now?
Beyond the mysterious time
Part 2: Learning while living
Miuna Gouna Doban is the best
The joy of repentance
A fervent prayer practice
A person who never gives up
There's still a long way to go
What is a middle water?
The happiness brought by a tug-of-war match
The noble gift of Monk Doban
I lost, thinking back to the debate competition.
Holding a dusty white tablet in my hand
The rewards of cooking
This is also a place where people live
Foolish one, do not fall asleep.
My life in Gangwon these days is exciting
The standard is Buddha Way, the expression is My Way
My first temple pilgrimage
Part 3: There's something I really want to say.
About repaying favors
What you can't give up and what you should give up
Others are mirrors that reflect me.
What is a true relationship?
Let's go on a real trip
Like the usefulness of leaves
Meditate on death
May all things that exist be happy
The merit of taking refuge in the Three Jewels
A story about cooking and cooking
Become someone who earns their keep
Appendix_ Haeinsa Buddhist College Life in Pictures
Part 1: How I Became a Monk
There was a sweet calling
The only thing I wish for after retirement
The true path of renunciation
Lose love and let go of me
It hurt because you loved me too much
I don't regret becoming a monk.
What you will know when you stop and look
What kind of life are you living now?
Beyond the mysterious time
Part 2: Learning while living
Miuna Gouna Doban is the best
The joy of repentance
A fervent prayer practice
A person who never gives up
There's still a long way to go
What is a middle water?
The happiness brought by a tug-of-war match
The noble gift of Monk Doban
I lost, thinking back to the debate competition.
Holding a dusty white tablet in my hand
The rewards of cooking
This is also a place where people live
Foolish one, do not fall asleep.
My life in Gangwon these days is exciting
The standard is Buddha Way, the expression is My Way
My first temple pilgrimage
Part 3: There's something I really want to say.
About repaying favors
What you can't give up and what you should give up
Others are mirrors that reflect me.
What is a true relationship?
Let's go on a real trip
Like the usefulness of leaves
Meditate on death
May all things that exist be happy
The merit of taking refuge in the Three Jewels
A story about cooking and cooking
Become someone who earns their keep
Appendix_ Haeinsa Buddhist College Life in Pictures
Detailed image
Into the book
I was desperate for pocket money, so I decided to make up for it with school lunch money.
But starving only lasts for a day or two. How can one endure hunger at such a young age?
A few times I sneaked in some lunch and got food from friends, but in the end I had no choice but to run to the cafeteria to fill my hungry stomach.
The money I worked so hard to save disappeared without a trace.
To me, a savior appeared like a ray of light.
It was Choco Pie!
--- p.14
The monk said to me:
“People live their lives relying on money, relying on their homes, relying on power.
But, since you can never predict what will happen even an inch ahead, you can lose your home, your job, and all your money in one day.
At this time, the mind that has lost its place of support becomes confused and despairs.” Hearing those words, I immediately understood.
Because I lost my girlfriend in one day too!
--- p.41
How much time has passed?
I received a text message saying I passed the written exam.
When I was trying to be evil, it didn't work out, but when I put everything down and tried to become a monk, I passed. Life is truly strange.
I guess that's why they say that things in life are unpredictable.
Maybe I was able to pass the final exam because I emptied my mind and stopped obsessing.
If I had stuck with passing until the end, would I have had a good result?
--- p.68
I secretly got on the village bus and boarded a bus to Sokcho.
After arriving downtown, I watched a movie, went bowling, had a delicious bowl of Jajangmyeon, had coffee for dessert, and returned to Baekdamsa Temple.
The evening meal passed as if nothing had happened, and I was secretly relieved that no one had been caught. But then, during the evening meditation, the head monk came in and told anyone who had been out that day to turn themselves in. I thought, "Oh no," but the milk had already been spilled, so there was nothing I could do.
--- p.93
The monks of Hakin began to practice soccer two to three weeks before the sports competition.
It's not practice, it's crying! In temples, public crying is so important that there's a saying, "Even dead ghosts come out to do it."
There can be no exceptions for anyone.
Moreover, as a crucial battle was imminent, all first-year students had to participate without fail and work harder than anyone else.
The goal, of course, was to win.
(…) I ran around the playground with sweaty feet, determined to burn this body to the ground.
After chasing the ball for a while, he ended up colliding with an opposing player and hurting his knee.
--- p.127
I remember when I was in the first year, Monk Ipseung advised me to “sleep whenever you have time.”
I followed his advice faithfully and slept whenever I had the chance.
Thanks to that, I was able to spend my days feeling less tired, and looking back, even though my body was tired, it seems like it was the time when my mind was at its most comfortable.
All you have to do is focus on your duties without any distracting thoughts.
At that time, I hoped that things would get better as I moved up a grade, and that time would pass quickly, but once I actually became a second-year student, I found myself with more things to worry about.
Press from above, hit from below and come up… .
--- p.147
It is said that hearing is the last sense that a person retains before he or she dies.
Before my mother closed her eyes, I told her the Buddha's words, telling her to forget all the regrets and relationships of this life and to go at ease.
I repeatedly recited the Heart Sutra, the Sutra of the Immortal Sutra, the Thousand Hands Sutra, and the Diamond Sutra.
Around dawn, a calmness suddenly came over my mother's face, and then she let out a long breath and closed her eyes.
I continued to chant without stopping.
I prayed in my heart that he would put everything down and go, thinking that this was my humble repayment for the grace I had received.
--- p.184
It's hard to predict where life will take you.
It's hard to see even an inch ahead.
When I first entered the offering room at Haeinsa Temple, I saw a monk with a shaggy appearance standing there and thought to myself,
'Oh, my life as a monk has gone awry!' But as time passed, that monk and I became closer than anyone else and lived together in Gangwon Province.
Isn't it fun?
--- p.228
Trees can be a great example.
A tree puts down its branches when it feels the time is right.
Whether it is a ripe fruit or a beautifully colored leaf, it is dropped without regret.
Rather than obsessing over appearances, extend your roots deeper and increase your age.
People should do the same.
People experience many things from birth until death.
There are bound to be good things and bad things among them.
You must not be attached to anything, but accept it without discrimination and then put it down again.
The key is to experience things with an open mind, without distinguishing between good and bad.
But starving only lasts for a day or two. How can one endure hunger at such a young age?
A few times I sneaked in some lunch and got food from friends, but in the end I had no choice but to run to the cafeteria to fill my hungry stomach.
The money I worked so hard to save disappeared without a trace.
To me, a savior appeared like a ray of light.
It was Choco Pie!
--- p.14
The monk said to me:
“People live their lives relying on money, relying on their homes, relying on power.
But, since you can never predict what will happen even an inch ahead, you can lose your home, your job, and all your money in one day.
At this time, the mind that has lost its place of support becomes confused and despairs.” Hearing those words, I immediately understood.
Because I lost my girlfriend in one day too!
--- p.41
How much time has passed?
I received a text message saying I passed the written exam.
When I was trying to be evil, it didn't work out, but when I put everything down and tried to become a monk, I passed. Life is truly strange.
I guess that's why they say that things in life are unpredictable.
Maybe I was able to pass the final exam because I emptied my mind and stopped obsessing.
If I had stuck with passing until the end, would I have had a good result?
--- p.68
I secretly got on the village bus and boarded a bus to Sokcho.
After arriving downtown, I watched a movie, went bowling, had a delicious bowl of Jajangmyeon, had coffee for dessert, and returned to Baekdamsa Temple.
The evening meal passed as if nothing had happened, and I was secretly relieved that no one had been caught. But then, during the evening meditation, the head monk came in and told anyone who had been out that day to turn themselves in. I thought, "Oh no," but the milk had already been spilled, so there was nothing I could do.
--- p.93
The monks of Hakin began to practice soccer two to three weeks before the sports competition.
It's not practice, it's crying! In temples, public crying is so important that there's a saying, "Even dead ghosts come out to do it."
There can be no exceptions for anyone.
Moreover, as a crucial battle was imminent, all first-year students had to participate without fail and work harder than anyone else.
The goal, of course, was to win.
(…) I ran around the playground with sweaty feet, determined to burn this body to the ground.
After chasing the ball for a while, he ended up colliding with an opposing player and hurting his knee.
--- p.127
I remember when I was in the first year, Monk Ipseung advised me to “sleep whenever you have time.”
I followed his advice faithfully and slept whenever I had the chance.
Thanks to that, I was able to spend my days feeling less tired, and looking back, even though my body was tired, it seems like it was the time when my mind was at its most comfortable.
All you have to do is focus on your duties without any distracting thoughts.
At that time, I hoped that things would get better as I moved up a grade, and that time would pass quickly, but once I actually became a second-year student, I found myself with more things to worry about.
Press from above, hit from below and come up… .
--- p.147
It is said that hearing is the last sense that a person retains before he or she dies.
Before my mother closed her eyes, I told her the Buddha's words, telling her to forget all the regrets and relationships of this life and to go at ease.
I repeatedly recited the Heart Sutra, the Sutra of the Immortal Sutra, the Thousand Hands Sutra, and the Diamond Sutra.
Around dawn, a calmness suddenly came over my mother's face, and then she let out a long breath and closed her eyes.
I continued to chant without stopping.
I prayed in my heart that he would put everything down and go, thinking that this was my humble repayment for the grace I had received.
--- p.184
It's hard to predict where life will take you.
It's hard to see even an inch ahead.
When I first entered the offering room at Haeinsa Temple, I saw a monk with a shaggy appearance standing there and thought to myself,
'Oh, my life as a monk has gone awry!' But as time passed, that monk and I became closer than anyone else and lived together in Gangwon Province.
Isn't it fun?
--- p.228
Trees can be a great example.
A tree puts down its branches when it feels the time is right.
Whether it is a ripe fruit or a beautifully colored leaf, it is dropped without regret.
Rather than obsessing over appearances, extend your roots deeper and increase your age.
People should do the same.
People experience many things from birth until death.
There are bound to be good things and bad things among them.
You must not be attached to anything, but accept it without discrimination and then put it down again.
The key is to experience things with an open mind, without distinguishing between good and bad.
--- p.254
Publisher's Review
Why did you become a monk?
Because I want to be truly happy!
People who don't mind waiting in line for hours to find a famous restaurant, people who drink until their noses are crooked even though they know they'll be sick the next day, people who sacrifice sleep to build up their resume and achievements to climb higher...
It is foolish to ask people who live so viciously that you wonder why they live like that.
Because the answer is obvious.
“Because that’s good and makes me happy.”
Except for those essential to survival, all human actions have only one ultimate goal.
The pursuit of happiness.
Monks, the reason why the monks who wrote this book, the students of Haeinsa Buddhist College, became monks and shaved their heads is the same.
There are people who went into the temple to get Choco Pies because they were hungry, people who decided to become monks after being given voluntary retirement in their 20s, people who broke up with their girlfriends, wandered around, met a teacher, and became monks. Their stories are all different, but they all found happiness and took refuge in the Buddha's teachings.
You might ask, "Why would becoming a monk be a way to achieve happiness when you can't date, can't get married, can't eat delicious food to your heart's content, and it's hard to build wealth and fame?"
But the happiness that monks seek is far from what ordinary people think.
The true happiness that monks desire is not the fleeting happiness gained from ever-changing things like love, money, and fame, but rather the acquisition of the unchanging essence (truth) of life.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow.
“If it’s good now, that’s enough.” This may be a difficult story to empathize with for those who live their lives with this mayfly-like attitude.
However, for those who seriously contemplate the weight of their own lives, and for those who have tasted the emptiness and transience that comes with the fleeting pleasure of possessing something, the stories of monks who reflect on the essence of life more deeply and for a longer period than anyone else will resonate deeply with them.
You say it's a struggle to leave home?
There is also the fun of living away from home!
Walk, eat and drink slowly.
Always speak and act calmly, and have few emotional ups and downs and expressions, whether good or bad.
They have bald heads all year round, wear dull-colored clothes, and mainly wear black or white rubber shoes.
I live in a remote mountain area and turn off the lights at 9 p.m. and go to sleep.
There may be slight differences depending on the monk and their living environment, but for the most part, this is how monks live.
So, when you think of 'monk' or 'monk's life', the first impression that comes to mind is definitely 'boring'.
If you asked someone to live like this for just one day, they would be so bored that they would feel restless.
Yet the monks say they are happy.
He says that beyond pleasure, he feels the wonder of life in every moment.
How many people actually believe this? Probably no one, except monks.
The monks who wrote this book were like that too.
Before I became a monk, I had no interest in Buddha, temples, or monks.
However, the common story is that after becoming a monk and living on one's own, they are much happier than when they lived outside.
Because there is no need to force yourself to try hard and dress up, whether to look good to others or for your own satisfaction.
Because we live naturally, both our body and mind become comfortable.
Monastic life is not always easy and enjoyable.
Especially for the student monks who have to learn and master many new things in order to be reborn as proper monks, the day itself is arduous.
The daily life of monks is one where the study and practice that last from dawn to dusk, the inconvenience of having to follow the rules even in the smallest things, and the various stresses that come with group living make it seem like hair will fall out without even shaving it.
So don't get me wrong.
Monks are people, and temples are places where people live.
Living as a monk is not as easy as you might think.
As is the case with any place where people gather, joys and sorrows coexist in the lives of monks.
Because we have different personalities and thoughts, we sometimes fight and make mistakes unintentionally.
However, while in the secular world, quarrels and mistakes become the cause of division, in the temple, they become the foundation for unity and self-growth.
This is because, rather than blaming others, they repent themselves first, use it as an opportunity to refine and polish their flaws and grow into a well-rounded person.
A life where every moment is a practice, a life where you cultivate inner beauty rather than outward appearances, this is where the true meaning of the joy of living as a monk lies.
A story that might be your story
The extraordinary story of ordinary people's journey to becoming monks
No one lives without worries.
From trivial concerns like what to eat for lunch or what to wear tomorrow to practical matters like grades, employment, marriage, and buying a home, modern people's minds are filled with worries.
Fortunately, these concerns will naturally resolve over time.
Or, it can be solved by preparing and being prepared in advance.
The real issues are fundamental ones like life, death, happiness, and the purpose of existence.
People who live with these questions have a hard time settling for reality.
Even if you eat well and live well enough to be envied by others, you still feel a sense of emptiness inside.
For those people, this book provides a small clue.
The monks who are the main characters in this book were not monks from the beginning.
I lived an ordinary life, going to school and working, but at some point I decided to pursue a completely different lifestyle and converted to Buddhism.
To resolve inner doubts, relying on the teachings of Buddha, who explored the question of existence most deeply in human history and finally realized the truth.
Leaving home is not an ordinary thing.
It is something that requires a huge decision, to the point where you have to throw away everything you have built up until now.
So becoming a monk is a special choice and a step into a completely new life.
But if you have a heart that desperately wants to find answers, it is a place of unparalleled opportunity and a path wide open to everyone.
As we live, there are times when essential questions arise within us.
Some people will just let it pass as a momentary anguish, while others will seriously worry about it.
If you feel unhappy with your life right now, if you believe there is a better way in the world, you will find hope and courage in this book.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to live the way they want to live, not the way others say they should live.
Because I want to be truly happy!
People who don't mind waiting in line for hours to find a famous restaurant, people who drink until their noses are crooked even though they know they'll be sick the next day, people who sacrifice sleep to build up their resume and achievements to climb higher...
It is foolish to ask people who live so viciously that you wonder why they live like that.
Because the answer is obvious.
“Because that’s good and makes me happy.”
Except for those essential to survival, all human actions have only one ultimate goal.
The pursuit of happiness.
Monks, the reason why the monks who wrote this book, the students of Haeinsa Buddhist College, became monks and shaved their heads is the same.
There are people who went into the temple to get Choco Pies because they were hungry, people who decided to become monks after being given voluntary retirement in their 20s, people who broke up with their girlfriends, wandered around, met a teacher, and became monks. Their stories are all different, but they all found happiness and took refuge in the Buddha's teachings.
You might ask, "Why would becoming a monk be a way to achieve happiness when you can't date, can't get married, can't eat delicious food to your heart's content, and it's hard to build wealth and fame?"
But the happiness that monks seek is far from what ordinary people think.
The true happiness that monks desire is not the fleeting happiness gained from ever-changing things like love, money, and fame, but rather the acquisition of the unchanging essence (truth) of life.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow.
“If it’s good now, that’s enough.” This may be a difficult story to empathize with for those who live their lives with this mayfly-like attitude.
However, for those who seriously contemplate the weight of their own lives, and for those who have tasted the emptiness and transience that comes with the fleeting pleasure of possessing something, the stories of monks who reflect on the essence of life more deeply and for a longer period than anyone else will resonate deeply with them.
You say it's a struggle to leave home?
There is also the fun of living away from home!
Walk, eat and drink slowly.
Always speak and act calmly, and have few emotional ups and downs and expressions, whether good or bad.
They have bald heads all year round, wear dull-colored clothes, and mainly wear black or white rubber shoes.
I live in a remote mountain area and turn off the lights at 9 p.m. and go to sleep.
There may be slight differences depending on the monk and their living environment, but for the most part, this is how monks live.
So, when you think of 'monk' or 'monk's life', the first impression that comes to mind is definitely 'boring'.
If you asked someone to live like this for just one day, they would be so bored that they would feel restless.
Yet the monks say they are happy.
He says that beyond pleasure, he feels the wonder of life in every moment.
How many people actually believe this? Probably no one, except monks.
The monks who wrote this book were like that too.
Before I became a monk, I had no interest in Buddha, temples, or monks.
However, the common story is that after becoming a monk and living on one's own, they are much happier than when they lived outside.
Because there is no need to force yourself to try hard and dress up, whether to look good to others or for your own satisfaction.
Because we live naturally, both our body and mind become comfortable.
Monastic life is not always easy and enjoyable.
Especially for the student monks who have to learn and master many new things in order to be reborn as proper monks, the day itself is arduous.
The daily life of monks is one where the study and practice that last from dawn to dusk, the inconvenience of having to follow the rules even in the smallest things, and the various stresses that come with group living make it seem like hair will fall out without even shaving it.
So don't get me wrong.
Monks are people, and temples are places where people live.
Living as a monk is not as easy as you might think.
As is the case with any place where people gather, joys and sorrows coexist in the lives of monks.
Because we have different personalities and thoughts, we sometimes fight and make mistakes unintentionally.
However, while in the secular world, quarrels and mistakes become the cause of division, in the temple, they become the foundation for unity and self-growth.
This is because, rather than blaming others, they repent themselves first, use it as an opportunity to refine and polish their flaws and grow into a well-rounded person.
A life where every moment is a practice, a life where you cultivate inner beauty rather than outward appearances, this is where the true meaning of the joy of living as a monk lies.
A story that might be your story
The extraordinary story of ordinary people's journey to becoming monks
No one lives without worries.
From trivial concerns like what to eat for lunch or what to wear tomorrow to practical matters like grades, employment, marriage, and buying a home, modern people's minds are filled with worries.
Fortunately, these concerns will naturally resolve over time.
Or, it can be solved by preparing and being prepared in advance.
The real issues are fundamental ones like life, death, happiness, and the purpose of existence.
People who live with these questions have a hard time settling for reality.
Even if you eat well and live well enough to be envied by others, you still feel a sense of emptiness inside.
For those people, this book provides a small clue.
The monks who are the main characters in this book were not monks from the beginning.
I lived an ordinary life, going to school and working, but at some point I decided to pursue a completely different lifestyle and converted to Buddhism.
To resolve inner doubts, relying on the teachings of Buddha, who explored the question of existence most deeply in human history and finally realized the truth.
Leaving home is not an ordinary thing.
It is something that requires a huge decision, to the point where you have to throw away everything you have built up until now.
So becoming a monk is a special choice and a step into a completely new life.
But if you have a heart that desperately wants to find answers, it is a place of unparalleled opportunity and a path wide open to everyone.
As we live, there are times when essential questions arise within us.
Some people will just let it pass as a momentary anguish, while others will seriously worry about it.
If you feel unhappy with your life right now, if you believe there is a better way in the world, you will find hope and courage in this book.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to live the way they want to live, not the way others say they should live.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: February 8, 2023
- Page count, weight, size: 272 pages | 308g | 128*188*17mm
- ISBN13: 9791192476865
- ISBN10: 1192476867
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