The Teaching on the "Faith in Mind" by Venerable Jinwoo

Beopmu ibeop(法無異法) 

Mangja aechak(妄自愛着)

There is no other Dharma, 

but one likes and clings to oneself in vain.

The Chinese character for Dharma (法) is a combination of the letters that represent water (水) and go (去), signifying that the Dharma is as natural and uninterrupted as the flow of water. There is nothing to be added or subtracted; there is no good or bad, or no right or wrong. Dharma is just as it is, the Middle Way and the True Emptiness, free from all conditioning.

Therefore, it could be said that the mind's emotions, like and dislike, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, happiness and unhappiness, cling to themselves in vain. Caught in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, in the cycle of cause and effect, we are endlessly trapped in samsara and discrimination, going through the previous life, this life, and the next life day after day, hour after hour.  

The challenges arise when negative emotions are experienced, including discomfort, distress, pain, frustration, and anger. We are all well aware that these feelings are often caused by greed, not getting what we want. Nevertheless, it can be exceedingly difficult to calm those uncontrollably seething feelings once aroused. 

When we are talking to someone and they ignore, or do not listen to or understand us, our mood quickly turns sour; arguments escalate, and eventually fights break out. In these situations, we need to take the time to check in with our feelings. We need to catch the emotions at the moment they arise. We let go of the anger and resentment again and again by observing them as they arise, immediately remembering the law of cause and effect, the Dharma of emptiness, and reminding ourselves of how futile all these emotions are.

Therefore, we must cultivate the habit of not letting the other person’s words and behavior as well as our emotions get the better of us, and speaking calmly, logically, and quietly, even if the other person does not understand what we are saying and ignores us. The other person just speaks and shows emotions according to his or her karma. There is no reason or need for us to entangle ourselves with his or her karma. As long as we control our own karma, that is, our own emotions, that is all that matters. We do not have to react to whatever the other person says.

Always make sure the karmic feelings of pleasure and pain not be aroused in dealing with people and things by observing that they are just like clouds drifting away, water flowing, or leaves blown this way and that by the wind. We should not allow one's mind to fluctuate by the movements of others; by laughing, we cause the karma of crying.

Arousing in our mind the feelings of favoring and clinging to people and things is as inconsequential and hollow as grasping soap bubbles. Large or not, important or not, everyone and everything is just an illusion created as a result of the cause inevitably leading to effect. There is no need to be emotional about any of it.

Everything we experience is a mere interplay of emotions, however significant it may appear. When we are attached to what we deem as desirable, it inevitably leads to a broken heart. This is the law of karma. Therefore, we should always keep a close eye on our own feelings of attachment so that they do not bubble up and sneak up on us. 

Everything outside of our mind is pure; they already exist as perfect Dharma. There is nothing inherently wrong with them. However, the problem is how we react to them. Bearing in mind that all we experience is arising from my own emotions, we should simply see and hear them as they are without arousing any feelings toward them.

We should strive to transform the karma of pleasant or unpleasant feelings into the mind that stays with the Middle Way by constantly reminding ourselves that all problems lie within our mind, not without. 

To this end, we must devote ourselves to prayer, meditation, acts of generosity, and diligent endeavor, which should be practiced without ceasing.

Gatha (頌)

All that is outside the mind is already the Dharma,

There are no likes, dislikes, pleasantness, or unpleasantness in the Dharma.

Feelings arise upon seeing or hearing these things

Are entirely due to my own karma 

Leading to the experience of pleasure and pain.

Most Ven. Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism