Living without desires was a line in a poem by the Japanese poet
Sansei Yamao which a religious uses in the beginning of his article in
the Kyeongyang magazine to give the readers some idea of his thinking on
the subject. He liked what the poet was saying and found himself
praying: "If I die now it will be alright."
He makes
clear that it is not that he has arrived at this stage in the spiritual
life but he wants to examine his heart when he says these words to see
what his feelings are. It's a help in his prayer life. When there is a
agreement with what he says and what his heart feels that is a good
sign.
The article quotes Boethius (480-525 AD) The Consolation of Philosophy: "Nunc fluens facit tempus, nunc stans
facit aeternitatum." (The now that passes produces time, the now that
remains produces eternity.) In other words the duration proper to the
eternal Being must be conceived as everlasting while temporal being is
open to a succession of states distinct from one another. We are not
able to grasp the 'now' for it quickly becomes the past. Rarely, however,
we have moments that are filled with great joy that last, moments of
ecstasy.
Most of us lose the present moment because we either live in the future or past. We can see our present as a stepping stone to the future
or what is worse to see us heading towards some future obstacle.
The possibility is also to live in the past because of unhealed scars, sins and the like, that
cast a shadow over our present now.
We need to be
present to the eternal now where we are in God's presence. The past nor the
future are what are important but the now and in the Scriptures we
are continually invited to the present. The miracle medicine is trust:
Matt. 6:25-34. Trust leads us to the ever present now. We are not given
a cross that is beyond our strength to carry. We follow Jesus in the present.
The only way we are to
view the problems, sins, and negativity of the past is with mercy, and
with its experience. St. Paul asked God to remove the 'thorn in his flesh'
2nd Cor. 12:1-10 but God did not, and he began to see it with different
eyes: "My grace is all you need,for my power is greatest when you are
weak."
The future is taken care of by trust, the
remorse of the past is taken care of by mercy, and both of these can be
assumed under gratitude. It is with this gratitude that we enter the
present moment and from which we have peace and joy. According to the
tradition of our elders in which they were right on: when one is
content all goes well. Rather than you give thanks because you are happy
you are thankful and consequently happy. Isn't this the way to have
nothing to wish for or to live without regrets?
A seminary professor, working in pastoral work for the bishops writes in View from the Ark of the Catholic Times of his thoughts regarding two popular books by Yuval Harari, translated into Korean: Homo Sapiens and Homo Deus. From the books' point of view we go from the 4th industrial revolution, artificial intelligence and into the age beyond God-belief into the superman age that Nietzsche ardently desired.
During the middle ages in the west God was the focal point in society. Christianity was its history with the discovery of the new continents in the fifteenth century we had the Renaissance, the humanist movement, the religious reformation, the enlightenment, and the modern challenge from atheism etc. which couldn't ignore the place of religion: God's existence and transcendence and the teaching of the Church. Briefly, the Church's belief in Christ took their mission seriously: "Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples... and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19).
The tradition and order of the 'teaching church' and its authority was challenged. Believers must listen and learn from the bishops and priests of the Church to preserve God's revelation if not, sanctions and punishment. After the French Revolution of the 18th century and rationalism and liberalism of the twentieth century the Catholic Church defended the Church's secular authority wanting it to be the ark for the people in a turbulent world.
At the First Vatican Council (1869-70) the primacy and infallibility of the pope was emphasized in a way to offset the loss of secular power and attempted to expand the influence and authority of the papacy and the teaching authority of the church.
The world has changed. Pope Francis reminds us that in order to become a 'teaching church" with authority it must first become a "learning church". The first principle of conversation, to maintain human relationships alive, is to listen but the church has always been more interested in speaking and teaching rather than listening.
As in the time of St. Francis when he went up against the secularism of the times, Christians began to regain the joy of the Gospel as they lived the life of poverty. In our times we have the currents of secularization that come from capitalism and selfish individualism. Pope Francis attempts to return the power of the papal authority to the Gospel of Christ by going out to those who are hurting. He wants to listen to them, extend his hand, hurt with them and give a voice to their situation. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) which tried to adapt the gospel to modern society is the background for the efforts of Pope Francis in renewal and reform.
Looking over the Korean situation even if we don't examine the statistics we know that not all is going well by listening to the priests working in pastoral situations. In the past the church was able to teach believers who listened and longed to learn but today there are many things the church needs to learn from those in the world.
The era of dividing the clergy into a 'teaching church' and laymen into 'a passive church' is over. Still more believers are leaving the church because of the attitude of the clergy who are soaked in the nostalgia of the past but there is hope, in the young and enthusiastic priests and religious who listen and sympathize.
We do not know how the future world will change. But no matter what world comes, the truth of the gospel does not change. Only the way the church understands the world and adapts to the world will change. The real task of the church is to "read the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel."
Satirically addressing our political situation four syllables are combined which mean: when I do it it's romance when others do it it's immoral.
After nine years we have a change of government. The progressive government when it does something the old government did we often hear this sly dig at the ruling government. A journalist writing in the Kyeongyang magazine begins his article on dialogue with these words.
In the appointment of the new cabinet members, the opposition lists all the mistakes and faults committed and asks for their names to be withdrawn. Since the government is now in power they do their best to defend each one and usually get their way.
'When I do it it's OK, when you do it is wrong' has now entered the world of big business, organizations and the individual. The phrase has entered daily parlance. Each one uses their own yard stick to judge. Our egoistical human nature shows itself clearly. We have a tendency, he says, to use our own measurements to judge and act to benefit ourselves. If this was not true competition would find no place in society.
To live in society we have to realize that others like myself have this self love. Socrates tells us to know ourselves. We need to objectively examine ourselves. We have to go beyond this self-love, we are not the center of the world and need to accept our place in society.
In June there was a forum that considered the position of religion in the work of justice and reconciliation. Two of the speakers concluded with the same emphasis on dialogue which surprised many.
A Buddhist monk mentioned that the meaning of the word justice is not the same for all. The word used in North Korea does not have the same meaning as in the South. In the 21st century with peace and conflict attempts are made to have a win/win approach to dialogue. Buddha did not refuse to dialogue even with the devil. It is the way to perform miracles. He mentioned 9 conditions and the first is to see the other as a companion.
A priest who was the head of diocesan peace and justice committee expressed himself somewhat differently. The dignity of the person and the common good is central to justice, and dialogue is important and went on to explain. He gives the example of man who lost everything and prays to God for help in winning the lottery: no luck this week and the following week. He goes into the church and with anger in his voice asks God to give him the winning ticket in the lottery.
As he was leaving the church he hears a voice from behind. "Hey, before you pray to win the lottery for heaven's sake buy a ticket." Prayer is not a monologue. He feels the relationship is very much like the above person asking God for help without doing what is necessary.
Pope Francis in Laudatio Si reminds us we are all living in a common house. The president of the United States to protect the industry and workers of his country decided to leave the Paris Climate Agreement.
Our life is a series of choices. My choice will influence my neighbor. The harder it is to find the correct answer the more we need to listen to the opinions of others, discuss and look for a reasonable solution. We invite God with our prayer, make the right judgement an act accordingly.
How do we bring different segments in society
together? In the Kyeongyang magazine a priest writes about the desire
for unity within the country. With the new government in place this
desire grows and is fostered with the easy going style and concern for
the common person shown by the present government.
What
is necessary for this uniting of the citizens? All the previous
governments desired and worked for this unity among the citizens.
Progressives, conservatives, and regionalism would not allow the change
to take place. At times the government even helped to ferment the
conflict.
"The Church values the democratic system
inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political
choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing
and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them
through peaceful means when appropriate. Thus she cannot encourage the
formation of narrow ruling groups which usurp the power of the State for
individual interests or for ideological ends. Authentic democracy is
possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct
conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary
conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through
education and formation in true ideals, and of the "subjectivity' of
society through the creation of structures of participation and shared
responsibility” (Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching # 406).
One
of the natural tasks of religion is to work for the
unity of society. Every society has a mix of unity and conflict.
Without the removal of force, control, discrimination and the like from
society we will not rid ourselves of conflict but the need continues. We work towards the goal of unity within a conflicted society.
What
should be the first thing to do? The need to understand the reason for
the conflict and upheaval. It may be economics, poverty, the
inequality in society. These are all good examples. One daily
newspaper in a recent survey of a thousand men and women 35.9 percent
thought it was the rich, poor divide.
Secondly the
political forces can be a probable cause for unrest. When the government
subjugates by force a large segment of society you will get resistance
which was what we saw in Korea recently with the candle light revolt of
many of the citizens.
Thirdly we have the cultural and
ideologically resistance. The young people revolting against the
conservative authority of the older generation. They are in search of
freedom, and look upon the stress from
the consumer society negatively.
The president quickly
after inauguration made clear he wanted a just nation, a united
country, regulations and common sense that is understood by all the
people... a president of all the people even those who did not vote for
him.
There is a need to rid the country of all corrupt
practices and work for a fair distribution of the material goods. A need
to work for open communication, dialogue and negotiation. The problem
of slow development, income and polarization within society, the lack of unemployment of the young are all government concerns. A desire for fair competition, guarantees for opportunities and the improvement of the living
conditions of the citizens are all dreams of a more united society.
A religious sister who works in a suicide prevention center, writes
in the Catholic Times asking the readers to take time out and look
inside. She begins with a program she watched on TV where an entertainer
was treated for a panic attack. A rather large number of entertainers
she tells us suffer from these panic attacks.
She
wasn't familiar with this problem but now is quite in the know. There
are many people that are not able to control their anger and indignation which cause the death or injury of another. Is our own psyche and those of others healthy?
In a survey made in 2011
one of four persons have at least one period with mental problems in
their life time. However, because of societies prejudice and lack of
understanding instead of receiving help many try to escape with drink, drugs,
games, gambling, and the like. These methods don't only give birth to
other problems but makes the initial problem more pronounced.
The
government last year working to better mental health is strengthening
the capabilities of these combine forces in society. Little has changed, she says, in
the way we look on mental disabilities. Which requires that we
look at ourselves and start making some changes in our thinking.
Wanting
to be healthy we work at exercising, and take helpful medicines but we
don't realize in actual fact what is necessary. We are so occupied, excuse ourselves with a lack of time, or absorbed with material things.
We don't take time to examine our emotions, pass ourselves off as happy
persons, in control of anger and irritability until it's let loose in
strange places and with persons with no connection to the out of control emotions. Have we not all experienced such events and failed to uncover the
reasons for the outbursts?
When by force we repress our
emotions they become more overwhelming and will affect us when we are
least prepared and will prepare us for mental difficulties in the
future. We should not only be conscious of our joys and happiness but
also indignation, sadness, anger and the like. There is no bad
emotion, its what we do with the emotions that is important.
When
we realized that we are often angry, distressed and acknowledge the
situation we are beginning to sublimate the situation and we are in
control and the owner of the emotion. This is not easily done but
we have to spend time making the effort to examine our inner life which
will make our life with others and ourselves less hectic. She hopes the article will help readers do that.
This
year is the 30th year of diplomatic relations with the country of
Bhutan, Koreans visiting Bhutan in recent years has increased greatly.
This year starting in June for 3 months, Koreans are receiving a 50
percent discount on events in Bhutan. What would ordinarily cost 250
dollars daily has been reduced to 125 dollars. A university professor
writing in the Catholic Peace Weekly tells the readers that on the plane
from Bangkok to Bhutan most of travelers were Korean.
He
was visiting the country on invitation to attend a one day workshop on
Sustainable Development Goals that were presented by the United Nations
and the the ways to achieve them in society.
Bhutan
is about one fifth the size of Korea with a population of a little over
750,000 and a GDP that is 166 in the list of nations. It's a Buddhist
nation and in many ways just opposite to Korea. In 1970 at the start of
restoration under a dictatorship, Korea and Bhutan were similar in the
GDP with about 200-300 dollars. Bhutan from that time began its Gross
National Happiness goal. Today Bhutan has not quite 3000 dollar GNP
while Korea comes close to 30,000 dollar GNP.
However,
Korea has one of the highest suicide rates and one of the lowest
birthrates in the world and is not able to rid itself of one of the
lowest happiness i and quality of life indexes. In Bhutan 9 our of 10
citizens consider themselves happy, one of the highest in the world, Why
do we have this great discrepancy?
Bhutan's
philosophy of government is determined by how happy the citizens are.
In 2008 the country began their periodical 5 year plan in achieving
happiness with a committee devoted to that cause. A happiness policy,
which is based on: * achieving a fair development of the economy *
protecting the environment for the citizens, and animals * progress in
developing traditional values and systems* to include the citizens in
the running of the government and listen to their requests, be efficient
and transparent in the running of government and to be conscious of the
above four pillars of our society.
The
aim is for the well being of the citizens, health, leisure, education,
cultural diversity, good government, community building, ecology and
renewal, which will be viewed with other indexes to measure the progress
of the efforts.
Recently
many countries are going to Bhutan to learn about their policies.
Thailand has stared a center with an index for happiness. He wonders
looking at Bhutan what have we lost in searching for material
prosperity. We can use Bhutan as a mirror to look at ourselves.
He
concludes the article with the hope of our new president who is an
admirer of the Bhutan experiment. Korea with an excessive search for
prosperity at the expense of happiness is able to work together with
Bhutan to help the developing countries to acknowledge the good and
bad qualities of each and to help others achieve sensible progress.
"Is it right to commit mentally sick to sanatoriums? Or rather to respects their rights and allow them to live with us?" No one can give an easy answer. With these questions, a health worker begins his article in the Catholic Times.
Recently a murder by a person under treatment for schizophrenia brought to the fore a movement to put those who are in treatment for mental illness in sanatoriums. Out of the 70 thousand in mental hospitals 10 thousand are conjectured to be released within the year. Recently the mental health law was changed which makes the commitment to a hospital difficult and release easy. Citizens do not have a consensus on how to deal with the mentally sick and the government remains confused. Christians have the example of Jesus to help us. He would not appreciate them becoming sacrificial lambs and would want to help them live human lives.
Differently than what the majority believe the mentally sick are not for the most part dangerous. In a report for the year, 2011 by the supreme prosecutor's office in the crimes that were perpetrated during that year only 10 percent were attributed to the mentally handicapped. Those who have been released and take their medicines are good neighbors. The problem is that many have no place to go. No friends with whom to talk, work opportunities are not available and find it difficult knowing what to do with their time.They are faced with the bias in society and the danger of giving up on their treatment and some return to drinking and drugs.
Some are still in hospitals because it's the cheapest place to keep them and the most efficient. The money set aside for the mentally sick is about 45 dollars which is about 1/6th of the budget in England and the United States. In Korea each person is responsible for about 80 persons which is two to three times more than the developed countries.
The efforts to build the infrastructure in society is missing, the efforts to make the entrance into mental hospitals more difficult will make opportunities for treatment less.
Many who have been discharged continue as out-patients.Those who have been addicted to drink have stopped drinking.Those with serious problems of schizophrenia or manic-depression, the acute manifestations of the disease are under control.
Those released from hospitals don't always find happiness. Societies' coldness and prejudices make it difficult. We need to prepare ourselves to accept those who are mentally compromised. We need to prepare to accept them with joy and need programs to help them to return to society. This over all will be a saving to society. Our understanding of the mentally disturbed needs to be changed and resources need to be allotted to the work.
