Category : Humanities: social science
Target : Young adult, adult
Published Date : 22-May-19
ISBN : 9788974796730
Pages : 336
Book Size : 150 x 214  Paperback
Keywords :Buddhims; Buddhist precepts

The writer of the book is a Buddhist monk. Venerable Bokak studied social welfare in 1974, and he has been a professor in the Department of Buddhist Social Welfare at Joong-ang Sangha University for the past thirty-five years. He is a scholar and also a practicing activist who is committed to expanding the welfare infrastructure under the Buddhist precepts by establishing senior homes and centers for physically challenged children. In the book, Venerable Bokak introduces and explains the essential ideas of Buddhism—ideas that he practices in his own life—in an easy-to-understand manner. By introducing the stories of Buddha (his birth, taking his vow, his attainment of Great Wisdom, and his enlightenment) as well as the epigrams of master priests, Venerable Bokak explains what Buddhism is and how its ideas should be practiced in everyday life. The ultimate goal in life is to practice compassion for yourself as well as the people around you, and the book reiterates the truth that only when you practice compassion can you be truly free. In the book, Venerable Bokak suggests solutions based on the Buddhist teachings to conflicts in life, discords among people, and social problems. The book teaches or asks readers to ponder on the problems of everyday life: why we try to have or possess more things instead of learning how to be content with what we have; the status of people is not decided by their birth but by their behaviors; just as different instruments create a harmony of sound, a religion should be open-minded about other religions; doing what we can do now is a way to live immortality. The book will have readers contemplate on how one can live in harmony with others by following the Buddhist teachings. A being cannot exist by him or herself; we exist so that we will live well with others and die well. The last stage of enlightenment is to “enter the market with help-bestowing hands,” meaning one must go into the world and share the pain of people. Venerable Bokak’s life is an example of this precept. To him, the Buddhist teachings begin and end with the idea of compassion. He also stresses the fact that the role of Buddhist priests is to offer compassion to the world and to draw people to find compassion in themselves rather than working as messengers of Buddhist ideas, for in this day and age, anyone can easily find information about Buddhism, especially online. Venerable Bokak believes that if Buddha were to revisit this world, he would come back as a social welfare worker. 

Venerable Jeongnyeom

Venerable Jeongnyeom took his vow under the guidance of Venerable Huichan, also known as the Forever Changing One. Venerable Jeongnyeom graduated from Joong-ang Sangha University, and he was the Chief Priest at Sangwonsa Temple on Odaesan Mountain. Presently, he is the Chief Priest at Woljeongsa Temple on Odaesan Mountain. During the Vassa (Buddhist Lent), he stays at the temple to focus only on meditation with his fellow priests. He established Munsu Seonwon (Munsu Meditation Center) and Donglim Seonwon (Donglim Meditation Center) for practicing Buddhists. In 2012, he received the Camelia Award, an Order of Civil Merit. He was a board director of Dongguk University and BTN (Buddhist True Network) and also a representative of Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice. Presently, he is the director of the One-Hundred-Year Plan Center at Joyge Order of Korean Buddhism. He is committed to conceptualizing the role of Buddhism and implementing its precepts for future generations.