3 Steps of Self-Discipline(written by Mu-Bul)

[새소리]

3 Steps of Self-Discipline

As a matter of fact, studying Buddhism is not as difficult as 

preval‎ently perceived; because human being is meant to have 

personality of Buddha from the point of his birth. 

And thus, man has an ability to realize his true nature and recover 

Buddha mind right away from any phrase of the truth.

However, those who do not have sincerity and modesty in realizing 

the true nature and in taking the truth would not be able to find them 

albeit spending three years or more of self-discipline and studying.

Long ago when Master Young-Ga visited Master Yug-Jo, 

hearing the phrase ‘transience and swiftness is null by nature’, 

he got enlightened all of sudden even before taking off his reed hat 

and still holding his *Jujangja. 

Not because he was a genius nor high-perseverance

did he get to be enlightened, but because he had eagerness 

and thirst to absorb the truth.

More often than not people believe that they can live without 

the enlightenment. Of course those who had wholesome- karma 

in their previous life might lead on a wealthy life; 

however, those who had made a sin in former days would suffer 

at present. Most people do suffer from 108 kinds of sufferings, 

including four sufferings: life, ageing, sickness, and death.

Suffering derived from human’s life cannot be released by abundance. 

Wide range of knowledge also cannot stop man to suffer in no means. 

The Enlightenment itself is the only way that man can be free from 

sufferings. This is why Buddha and other ancestors have stressed 

the importance of the Enlightenment all the time. 

The Enlightenment is something that makes the soul awake 

while hearing one word of truth. 

But those with unconscious souls are unlikely to be awake. 

Therefore, conditions to earn the enlightenment need to be riped. 

That is what we call self-discipline.

In self-discipline, amidst penitence, sincere prayer, worship training, 

invocation, and meditation, ‘Code-meditation’ comes first. 

When you train yourself everyday with Code in exploring mind, 

you would attain the conditions of the enlightenment and in the end 

obtain the great enlightenment. 

Thus, I wish those who seek for the great liberty to do ‘Code-meditation’

In the following, I’ll explain three steps of self-discipline; 

if you’ll firmly follow each step then you’ll achieve on a higher level.

1. First of all, train yourself aiming ‘Seeing one’s nature’

‘seeing the nature’ means looking true nature of oneself with one’s mind 

not eyes. Read three steps of ‘seeing the nature’ at the room for 

‘seeing the nature and discipline’ and see your true self. 

If you’ve realized your true personality, then you’ve recovered 

your true nature as well.

Even though you’ve tried your best but haven’t found your true self, 

then wait patiently while making invocation, praying, and meditating. 

When you feel these are being of no help, look for others who’ve reached 

enlightenment right away. Meeting those others would lead you 

immediately to find your true nature.

Master Yuk Jo said “Realizing your true mind is said to be penetrating 

your true nature; one who does not recognize one’s nature is 

an ordinary man, one who does realize one’s nature is Buddha 

and the act is the enlightenment.  

Therefore, you are to retrieve Buddha mind by ‘seeing the nature’. 

Then, you are Buddha himself. Do not doubt at all about it. 

You can tell anytime, anyone that you are Buddha, 

and thus you’ll follow the path of Buddha.

2. Hold on to Code and make a search until you gain insight 

to penetrate nature of universe. 

If you’ve attained Buddha mind through ‘seeing the nature’, 

you have to live up to Buddha’s mind and practice. 

Practice of Buddha is an act based on no-mind. 

However, you who have just waken up from a sleep would be at a loss 

and not able to practice Buddha way properly. 

Thus, you need a little bit of discipline so as to become experienced 

Buddha. Through the discipline you would grow into Buddha in whole. 

This discipline is called exploring Code.

If you are able to practice and speak out loud the Buddha mind, 

at the moment you are to reach ‘seeing the nature’ 

and attain the insight to penetrate the nature of universe, 

such discipline is not needed. Code is a gateway to attain the insight. 

Also at the same time, exploring Code means practicing no-mind.  

If the meaning of the Code doesn’t occur to you when you hear the word, 

then you’re yet to gain the insight. In this case, hold on to the Code 

with eagerness and maintain meditation in order to gather all your mind 

into one. Implicit and persistent exploring would lead you to a place 

of no-mind and you would soon be convinced of the Code. 

This is called the supreme enlightenment. 

You will at last realize the enlightenment.

If you think you’ve been convinced of the Code, 

then meet up with predecessors at once and check whether 

you really have achieved the goal. 

3. Strengthen your root.

 This is what we call cultivating mind. 

Through enlightenment were you to be convinced of the Code, 

there is nothing you would not understand in the world, 

acquire eloquence, and double your ability. 

And for sure your behavior would correspond to that of Buddha.

 Even though you may look perfectly still in appearance, 

you may have slight wavering feelings 

when encountering various kind of incidents. 

Thus, you need to strengthen the root by studying cultivating mind. 

Cultivating mind is done in daily life. 

When facing various type of events in the world, 

you need to count on your mind. 

Moreover, you need to recite invocation or meditate over and over again 

in order to penetrate a chimera and obtain consistent tranquil mind. 

 Longer you spend taking the stage of cultivating mind, 

freer you become in your ordinary life. 

Then, you are the true winner of the life,  happy person, 

and the Buddha who has overcome with suffering.   

   Written by ‘Mu-Bul’

[새소리]

Jujangja: Lieterally, it is to a cane that Seon masters carry. In Seon dialogues, it refers to the essence of Seon, the Mind.

[향하심]

Thank you very much for the great work. Keep it up!