"To live as we should" a translation of a phrase often heard in religious circles.The movement has spread to many religions in Korea. Recently 171 members of 7 religious groups: Catholics, Buddhists, Won Buddhists, Confucians, Cheondo believers, Protestants, and traditional Folk Religion believers gathered for discussion on how to develop our common human nature.
Both Catholic papers contained articles on the meeting and the discussion. The keynote speaker stressed that we need to go beyond the theoretical words to help each other live a more human life and we can learn from each other about our common humanity.
In the discussion, it was determined that each of the participants needs to develop their own human potential. Each one has their special calling and the need to live this as perfectly as possible. One participant mentioned that if society does not see us as authentic we will have little influence.
All see the need to understand and work together in harmony with each other. Efforts are made to make the movement more systematic than in the past. Korea, said one of the participants, needs this movement to become a mellower country.
Are there any other countries in the world that would be able to gather representatives of so many different religious beliefs and spend two days together in discussion on how to live more harmoniously together?
Korea has a history of working together harmoniously with other religions. We do have squabbles and at times conflict but the larger segments of religious life desires to live in harmony with others who have a different understanding of God and our place on the earth.
The secularists and atheists were not included in this movement, along with the religious fundamentalists for obvious reasons. This is sad for the differences between religious believers, secularists, atheists and fundamentalists are often the bitterest and the most difficult to overcome. Even talking about our common humanity is not easily done.
If we had an understanding of freedom and respect for another's conscience and openness to encounter between the different segments of society we would have a gentler society. Catholicism respects the freedom of conscience of all to believe or not to believe. It is an inalienable right of the human person. The Church does not impose but proposes, a freedom we all should enjoy.
The numbers of Koreans who can't read are very small. Korean is a scientific script easy to master. Foreigners who want to learn Korean find it easy. In a column in the Catholic Peace Weekly a literary critic give us some interesting facts to ponder.
The low rate of of illiteracy has helped the country to develop economically. The desire for education and literacy all helped. This was also a factor in spreading Christianity.
In 2014, OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ) conducted a survey of 22 countries in the OECD on comprehension of what is read. They wanted to determine the quality of the work force in the different countries. Those from ages 16-24 were tied with Japan in 3rd place in understanding. However, with those from 55 to 65, out of the 22 countries surveyed, Korea was number 20th.
The difference between the younger and the older members of the labor force in England was only one point, in the United States an 8 points difference. In Korea we had a 48 point difference between the two groups. Korea had the largest disparity between the two groups.
The columnist does not believe age is a sufficient reason for the disparity. Many see the reason in the failure to read as one ages. With age one avoids reading any amount of difficult script and this is the reason for the difference according to the writer. In another survey made the average person reads at least one book a year. This comes to 6.6 out of 10 reading at least one book a year. Compared to the past we have more who are doing less reading but those who read increased the number of books read.
The older group is reading less, the younger more. So the disparity between the two groups is getting larger. With the older generation increasing, the health of the elders will be jeopardized by this lack of mental stimulation.
In the past efforts were made to have the young read, however, the columnist wants the nation to begin working to get the older generation to read. This is an urgent necessity for the writer.
Reading expands a person's vision and his ability to communicate increases. Life expectancy increases and quality of life and satisfaction increases. The pursuit of happiness and the well being of society is fostered.
In the old days, a millstone was a necessary appliance.They used it to grind the food for the kitchen table. It was an old fashion mixer. An article in The Salt Shaker of the Bible & Life magazine introduces us to alternative uses of the millstone.
Milestones come in pairs. The bed stone is stationary and usually convex and the grinding is done by the top stone which is slightly concave and has a handle which moves it against the bed stone to grind.
After about 30 or 40 years of use the wear and tear on the millstone make it impossible to do its job of crushing the ingredients to make powder and at times it just falls apart. How does one retire the millstone?
What does one do with a millstone that no longer can function properly? They are not the kind of product you throw in the trash or the junk heap. It can no longer grind but it can serve as a weight for other food stuff in the making of kimchi. It becomes a pressure stone, but after another 30 years the corners wear down and for certain foods, it loses its value.
Often they are seen in homes on the patio or in the yards as an ornament, a reminder to the homeowners of the past.
Buddhist monks when the millstone becomes useless in the preparation of food place them on the grounds where the water gathers in a rain storm and they become stepping stones to keep the shoes clean.
We are able to find alternative uses of many of the products that with age are no longer functional. The article ends with the conclusion that persons who know how to use things correctly will also have the personalities that will allow them to respect their fellow humans.
In the Gospels the word is used only three times and used in a very exaggerated way to show the evil of scandalizing the young: it is better to have a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea than have them harm the young.
In a diocesan bulletin, a college professor brings to the attention of the readers the new word used by the Korean youth: ability-like ( appearing to be someone different than one is).
In the past, this was understood as a false show of power or influence--bluster. A way of showing off one's wealth or group attachment, in a word one's superiority.
He gives the example of a table with a cup of coffee seen on the SNS, (social networking service), with the keys of a foreign made car by the coffee. Or a person with some tickets to a movie and on the wrist we have a very expensive watch.
This is no longer seen in certain circles as a simple case of showing off but a way of making a point and of getting others to see themselves as persons of quality in society. A search in how to package oneself in a new way to meet their personal expectations and be celebrated in society. A certain degree of narcissism would not be an inappropriate description of what is happening.
They consider themselves persons of great ability, and successful and want to gain approval from others. Self-promotion is not unique to Korea. The SNS network, is an ideal platform for this self adulation. As a small country with an excellent communication network the young are quick to see aberrations in society.
This can be seen also in the way efforts are made to get certain 'specs' in order to succeed in society as if the college and the departments they attend will be all they need to make a mark in society; the way they will be valued in society.
The professor feels that this estrangement from the real self and the pursuit of fantasy will return to hurt the individual in the years to come. When truth is sacrificed the psyche will pay a price.
Living as weak and deficient human beings and willing to make this known to the whole world is a desire the professor would like to see enter our society. This is the hope he has, a change that would benefit all.
In 1980 American animal studies discovered how elephants are able to communicate with each other. They noticed a quivering of the area near the mouth. Vibrations and with low-frequency sound, elephants can communicate with other elephants miles away. Some of the sounds are at such a low frequency that humans are not able to hear. They can even communicate when a concrete wall a meter thick separates the animals.
In the Catholic Peace Weekly, a columnist introduces the readers to the mystery of sound and sight with which we are surrounded daily. No space is silent but filled with all kinds of sound and light that we can't perceive but none the less present.
Bats and dolphins hear sounds at higher frequencies than humans. With ultrasound, they look for food and communicate with their kind and at great distances. Dolphins can send signal thousands of kilometers: highly efficient mobile phones.
Two dolphins that were in Seoul were freed in their home waters of Jejudo recently. When the period of acclimation is over next month they will be released into the wide open ocean. It is very likely they have already sent their signals to the other dolphins in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
We only hear the sounds that our ears allow. When the frequency is either too high or too low we don't hear the sound. There is no such thing as a silent room. A radio is able to pick up sound in a room, the radio waves are changed into sound waves enabling us to hear beautiful music. The sounds of nature are always surrounding us.
Sight and hearing are basically the same: fast waves are light and slow waves are sound said very simply but with truth. We are surrounded by all kinds of wavelengths and as humans perceive a small part.
Out of our vision range, we are blind. Insects are able to search for food with their infrared rays.
We all see the world differently. We see as if we were limited to one octave of music in the hearing realm. Science with the use of infrared light telescopes are able to detect celestial bodies that were not seen with the ordinary telescopes.
We can believe that what we hear and see is all that there is but that is a serious mistake. The universe is much more mysterious. That should humble us and make us think. What we believe is empty is filled with all kinds of beauty and truth. God's silence we can never escape.
In View from the Ark in the Catholic Times, the columnist recalls a phrase he heard on Religious mercy that remained with him. Empathy is internal mercy; solidarity is external mercy. Briefly, religion in our present world needs to have both empathy and solidarity.
This is just another name for love: Pope Francis' understanding of mercy. "There is no neutrality in the presence of pain", empathy and solidarity are one. We can't conceal the truth: when life is getting tedious and boring we face weakness and need to nurture empathy and solidarity.
Consequently, this is why we need cooperation and teamwork. We are all in the same world but not all is fair and just; the reason we need empathy and solidarity.
To achieve this we need the power of persuasion. Especially when plans face pressure, explanations and persuasion are required. Communication and mutual understanding require empathy and solidarity. How do we realize this empathy and solidarity? It doesn't come easy.This is why we need to walk in the other's shoes for a while. When we reflect on our humanity we gather strength but when empathy is missing we feel an emptiness.
In the actions of Jesus, we have empathy and solidarity. His empathy was mercy. Helpful it is to remind ourselves of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples. A society with which I can't empathize is a dead society. When we see another in difficult straits and show no concern we are part of the problem.
Those who enter the convent or monastery are not fleeing the world but want to communicate with the world. Christianity is a way of empathizing and showing solidarity with the world and empathizing with the will of Jesus and working in solidarity with this will.
We are all searching for happiness but this is not what appears to be the case in society. Our lifestyle is a problem but the urging of society is not of little consequence. Consequently, we see victimization and anger in society. To put up with the sadness of life is virtuous but not always so. There are times when passivity is cowardliness. To refuse to be involved is wrong. Henry David Thoreau in his book Civil Disobedience said: "It is better to respect justice than to respect the law." It is not easy to be empathetic, and solidarity is even harder. If we would feel the urgency of this in our lives things would be different.
An interview with the president of the Korean Friendship Association of the Kingdom of Bhutan was written up in the Catholic Peace Weekly. The President gives us some background to why Bhutan has the highest Happiness index of all the countries in the world.
If the government is not able to make the citizens happy it has no reason to exist. This is a sentence from their code of law. Since The Kingdom of Bhutan has no embassy in Korea the Friendship Association is recognized as a spokesperson for the Kingdom in Korea.
Gross national happiness is what has taken the place of gross national product which was the gift of the fourth king of Bhutan in 1970. Most of the countries have made their goal economic development. Bhutan differently was concerned with the rich-poor gap, destruction of the environment, which was producing negative side effects and prompted the government to study the problem. The results are what the whole word has become interested in.
Bhutan has shown concern for economic development, care for the environment, the preservation of the culture and leaders who take initiative in working for change. Each country has a different population and conditions which will require different approaches to achieve the happiness goal for the citizens. Thailand, Dubai, and the state of California have shown a desire to follow Bhutan.
Is it possible to gauge the happiness level of a country? In Korea happiness and the condition for happiness are often confused. If you ask a Korean about happiness they will mention health and their children going to the right schools as a condition for happiness. In Bhutan it is not the conditions but happiness itself, it is not related to conditions. It is what is desired deep down in one's heart which requires some know-how to achieve this knowledge.
The national committee approves the suggestions that come in from the different sections of society. The committee selects the policies that they deem will make over 82 percent of the citizens happy. If a suggestion is not seen as fostering the happiness of the citizens it is not accepted.
Once suggestions are accepted do we see a change in the happiness level of the citizens? Here in Korea, the suicide rate is the highest of all the countries of the OECD.This is a sign that we have a great deal of anger in society and a lack of happiness. This requires efforts on the part of the government to work on these areas of pain in society.
In conclusion of the interview, the president mentions that if the suicide rate went down to number two after the effort in working on GNH, Gross National Happiness, they would know that Korea had some success.
